Cong. Tulfo vows to introduce bill requiring PhilHealth to cover doc’s professional fees
SENATORIAL candidate Erwin Tulfo has vowed to introduce a bill requiring the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to also cover doctors’ professional fees.
In a radio interview, ACT-CIS Representative Erwin Tulfo stated that professional fees are one of the recurring problems patients face upon discharge from the hospital.
He explained, “PhilHealth only covers the cost of medicines and room charges for patients.”
“When poor and underprivileged Filipinos get financial aid through medical assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or the Department of Health (DOH), they use it just to pay for hospital treatment and medicines that PhilHealth was not able to cover,” Rep. Tulfo added.
The lawmaker and former DSWD Chief further stressed, “patients are unable to leave the hospital on the same day of being discharged simply because they cannot afford the doctors’ or specialists’ professional fees.”
According to Tulfo, “this is why doctors’ professional fees should be included in PhilHealth benefits.”
He questioned, “What is the point of salary deductions from Filipino workers’ hard-earned wages and the annual budget allocated by Congress to PhilHealth?”
Tulfo plans to file the proposed bill, which would enable PhilHealth to shoulder doctors’ professional fees, once Congress resumes session on June 2.
