CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Department of Health (DOH) has hailed Republic Act 11223 otherwise known as the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act and described it as a win for all by citing its benefi ts to Filipinos.
DOH regional director Cesar Cassion said the UHC Act “ensures equitable access to quality and affordable health care and protection against financial risk.”
Cassion made the statement during the first leg of Dagyaw 2019: Open Government and Participatory Governance Regional Dialogues held at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center here last week.
He explained that the law protects Filipinos from financial shock or crisis that they may encounter whenever a family member gets sick or is dire need of medication.
“This provides comprehensive health services without causing financial hardship. Aside from this, it ensures health literacy, healthy living and protection from hazards and risks,” he explained.
He also said all Filipinos are automatic members of the National Health Insurance Program and have immediate eligibility and access to health care services regardless of the number of their payment contributions.
Filipinos under the UHC Act will be enrolled at the point of service or upon hospitalization, he added.
“UHC also covers comprehensive outpatient benefit and provision of primary care provider. They get the appropriate services they need in the appropriate facility,” he explained.
However, Cassion said this does not guarantee that everything is for free.
“For regulation services, only the basic accommodation is for free. This means that co-payment for health services outside basic accommodation is predictable. We have required transparent pricing on health goods and services so you can monitor and have a clear basis on the prices of drugs and medicines,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Cassion noted that DOH is already addressing its problems such as inadequate human resources for health and health facilities.
The regional director disclosed that about 1,460 health personnel have been added in the region in 2018 and another 1,561 will be added for this year.
“In terms of health infrastructure, DOH was able to accomplish 208 health facilities projects last year amounting to P623.408 million. And for this year, 65 projects worth P417.7 million are already in the pipeline,” he said.
Dagyaw 2019 encourages participation in dialogues between government agencies, the public, and other stakeholders.
This initiative likewise aims to solicit ideas and stories that would help not only in crafting new landmark reforms but also in further strengthening existing measures.
The event was organized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and Management and Presidential Communications Operations Office.
Other topics discussed included the Rice Trade Liberalization Law and the Build Build Build Infrastructure Program.
