To show love and compassion to children even in crisis
ANGARA EYES HEALTH INSURANCE TO CHILDREN OF POOR FAMILIES

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara today said that we need a more comprehensive health insurance program that will benefit children from poor families amid alarming statistics which highlight the increasing disparity to access to health care between higher and lower-income families.

"Children are especially vulnerable during this time of economic crisis, and the government should always be there to afford them social protection. One way to do such is through instituting a more comprehensive health insurance program. Although PHILHEALTH has been successful in expanding health insurance base in the country, we must continue to explore ways in making it even more responsive to changing times and the needs of our people especially the uninsured children of our poor," said Angara who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance.

He added, "Poor Filipino families would usually forego health care and put more of their resources on food consumption. This results to a condition wherein health care is neglected, insufficient, worse absent. In this regard, gaps should be readily filled-up by government expenditures in health which we can always view as an investment for our nation's future."

According to World Bank reports, infant mortality rates for babies below 5 years old are 2.3 - 2.7 times higher for households in the poorest groups in the country. Even among pre-school age children, the national estimates for the prevalence of malnutrition reveal that 31 out of every 100 children (30.6%) are underweight. Worse are the school-age children wherein 33 out of every 100 children (32.9%) are underweight for their age.

Angara said that these statistics highlight the difference in living standards and access to health care. "That is why I am working on expanding our National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) to include our children which is the most uninsured population in our country," he added.

Angara filed a bill which seeks to insure children of poor families through a Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The CHIP is designed for low-income families who cannot afford to insure the health needs of their children. With the implementation of a CHIP under the NHIP, eligible low-income children shall be entitled to a full range of health services including regular checkups, immunizations, prescription drugs, lab tests, X- rays, hospital and clinic visits, durable medical equipments, hospital visits, dental and eye care.

"Let us make our children not only dependents but beneficiaries as well," said Angara.

The CHIP is currently considered for committee deliberation by the Health & Demography Committee joint with Local Government, Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes & Laws and Finance Committees.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara has authored and pushed for significant laws in health and social welfare including Senior Citizen's Act, the PHILHEALTH Law and the Magna Carta for Public Health Workers.