Automatic PhilHealth membership proposed
ILOILO Representative Janette Garin is proposing automatic membership in Philippine Health Insurance Cop.
In a statement, Garin said application for membership in PhilHealth should be made individually, stressing that even the new born should immediately be members of the national insurance.
“We should have individual membership, hindi siya per family… ‘Yung isang bata kunyari anak ko by virtue of being dependent pagdating niya ng 18 years old hindi na siya miyembro. ‘Pag nagkaanak ‘yan at nanganak siya, hindi siya miyembro ng PhilHealth, at ‘yung anak naman niya, hindi rin ma-cocover kapag nagkasakit,” the former Health secretary stressed.
“Dapat ‘yan talaga individual membership, pagkapanganak miyembro, kapag namatay tanggal sa lista,” Garin added.
Garin made her statement following the five percent premium increase in PhilHealth contribution.
Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care Act, provides that an increase of 0.5 percent every year in membership premiums is implemented, starting year 2021 and until it reaches the 5-percent limit in year 2025.
Garin, vice chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, noted that PhilHealth should give adequate programs and services for its members.
“Paano mo naman iincrease kung ‘yung serbisyo ng PhilHealth ay hindi akma doon sa minimum expectation ng ating mga kababayan,” Garin pointed out.
According to Malacañang, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has been studying the appeal of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa to suspend the implementation of premium rate increase this year.
