Bicam approves universal health care bill

The bicameral conference committee finalized on Tuesday, November 27, the disagreeing provisions of the Universal Health Care bill.

Members of the bicameral conference committee composed of senators and congressmen agreed to the following provisions:

1. All Filipinos will be covered by the Universal Health Care;

2. The Act would ensure that all members would be granted immediate eligibility and access to preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care for medical, dental, and mental health services;

3. Primary Care Health Screenings and Consultations (medical check-ups), including medicines for basic conditions and laboratory test will be included as primary care benefits package of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth);

4. A Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) will be created. The HTAC will study and make recommendations to the health department and the PhilHealth for the development of policies and programs, regulation, and determination of PhilHealth benefit packages;

5. PhilHealth payments for local government unit hospitals shall be set aside as a Special Health Fund and be used to improve the health facilities and health service delivery of the LGUs;

6. All graduates of allied and health-related courses who are recipients of government funded scholarship programs shall be required to serve for at least three years in the public sector. The bicam panel also agreed on the following sources of funds for the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act:

a. Incremental sin tax collections as provided for in Republic Act No. 10351 otherwise known as the Sin Tax Law;

b. Fifty percent of the National Government share from the income of the Philippine Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR);

c. Forty percent of the Charity Fund, net of Documentary Stamp Tax Payments, and mandatory contributions of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO)

d. Premium contributions of members;

e. Annual Approprations of the Department of Health included in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) and the

f. National government subsidy to PhilHealth

Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said the passage of the bill into law would ensure that financial issues will no longer be a burden to the Filipinos when it comes to health care.