Press Release
April 18, 2010

ROXAS, AQUINO VOW 100% HEALTH COVERAGE FOR FILIPINOS BY 2013

The tandem of Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and vice-presidential candidate Senator Mar Roxas II has vowed to expand the coverage of health insurance among Filipinos to 100% within three years or by 2013 to ensure the poor and the elderly will have access to professional health care.

Roxas said providing easier access to quality health care will be the priority of the Aquino-Roxas administration, along with better education, economic growth and job creation.

"May programa kami na tinatawag na universal health care na ibig sabihin lahat ng kababayan natin magkakaroon ng access sa PhilHealth," Roxas said in an interview over radio dzMM, adding the LP tandem would also work to increase the benefits provided by state health insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Roxas said that despite the enactment of Republic Act No. 7875 or the National Health Insurance Act of 1995, the quality of health care has severely deteriorated which he noted was mainly due to politicians who decide who will be given access to PhilHealth. He added that "less than 40% of our people" are covered by PhilHealth.

"Mali iyan dahil pera ng taxpayer ito. Dapat lahat ng kababayan natin may access dito. Lahat tayo dapat pantay-pantay (That's wrong because this is taxpayers' money. Our people should have access to PhilHealth. All people should be equal especially as regards health care)," Roxas stressed.

Such universal coverage, Roxas said, will be funded by the national budget through premium payments to PhilHealth.

"Para sa amin mahalagang-mahalaga ito. Diyan namin itututok talaga ang aming trabaho para sa katuparan nito (This is very important for us. We will exert all our effort and focus on this advocacy)," he added.

Roxas said that providing universal health coverage for all Filipinos would be one of the most effective means to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, adding that this goes hand-in-hand with the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Law which he primarily authored.

"Iyan ang programa namin. Napaaral na sa mga eksperto iyan, sa mga marurunong sa finance at sa public health. At ang kanilang finding is, sa loob ng tatlong taon mabibigyan natin ng 100% coverage ang lahat ng Pilipino (That is our program. Experts on finance and public health have conducted a study about it and their finding was that in three years, we can give 100% coverage to all Filipinos)," Roxas said.

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