A joint congressional panel has moved to amend Republic Act 1123, the Universal Health Care Law, and stop the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) from pursuing its plans to increase the contributions of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as soon as the pandemic is over.
Jointly pushed by Reps. Michael Defensor (Anakalusugan Partylist), Dan Fernandez (NUP, Laguna), and Elpidio Barzaga (NUP, Cavite), the proposal seeks to repeal the UHC provision that categorizes OFWs as direct contributors to PHilhealth.
Defensor said the amendment will take into consideration the OFWs’ “peculiar employment circumstances compared to other direct contributors.”
In a virtual hearing on Tuesday, Defensor, chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, said the House panel, together with the Committee on Good Government, proposes to create an inter-agency committee that will recommend the issuance of a Philhealth circular that will set the amount of contributions that OFWs will pay “considering their peculiar employment circumstances.”
Upon the directive of President Duterte, Philhealth has temporarily set aside the implementation of Philhealth Circular No. 2020-0014 for the increase in premium contributions of OFWS.
The state medical insurer's directive was in consonance with the provisions of the Universal Health Care Law that categorizes OFWs as direct contributors, or members required to pay both their personal and employer’s premium for medical insurance benefits.
Antonio Danao, PhilHealth's social health insurance officer, told reporters that as far as Philhealth is concerned, the President's directive may apply only during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Stressing that Philhealth is mandated under the law to implement the UHC, Danao said Circular 2020-0014 will be implemented when the situation returns to normal and the pandemic has ceased.
Defensor said the committee will also pursue amendments to the UHC to give OFWs and their families fair treatment in seeking PhilHealth benefits.
A panel composed of PhilHealth, the Department of Health, Overseas Workers Welfare Council, and representatives from civil society and OFW groups will have to be created to address the situation.
Defensor also assailed the requirement of overseas employment clearance on OFWs prior to their deployment abroad.
Susan Ople of the Ople Policy Center questioned the OEC requirement which is provided under the implementing rules and regulations of the UHC but not distinctly provided under the said law.
“Nasa IRR ngunit wala naman sa batas ang OEC (The OEC is in the IRR but not provided under the law),” said Ople.
Ople said the mandated PhilHealth contribution of OFWs is unfair especially for domestic household workers who earn a meager P20,000 monthly to sustain the needs of their family in the country.
Saudi Arabia-based OFW Venancio Legaspi appealed to lawmakers to repeal the UHC provision categorizing them as direct contributors to PhilHealth
“The attempt to increase our premium contribution is onerous, totally unacceptable, deplorable, and inhuman,” Legaspi said.