The government has virtually offered "free" risk-based coronavirus testing in the country under the universal health care law, according to a Palace official.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said government shoulders the testing cost for medical and economic frontliners, returning overseas Filipino workers, people with the symptoms and those with exposure to the illness.
"I was the author of the Universal Health Care Law in the 17th Congress, and part of what we want to offer people is free diagnostic including PCR tests. Now, I would like to point out that testing is virtually free if you are an economic frontliner, a medical frontliner, if you have had exposure or if you have symptoms," Roque said over ANC's Headstart Monday, April 5.
"So, it is only the asymptomatics without exposure who want to test that will have to pay the required fee. But only you have to declare is that you had been exposed, you had a close contact that will be paid for by PhilHealth," he added.
Roque noted that the government, through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), has offered benefit package for coronavirus testing.
"So I don’t know what VP Robredo is saying because we have always had this protocol and that is why the PRC, the Philippine Red Cross has been billing PhilHealth billions and billions of pesos because it is government that pays for PCR testing. So it is virtually free except for those who have had no contacts and no symptoms and still want to be tested," Roque said.
"Now, tests are also free for returning OFWs so it’s virtually for free for those who have any kind of chance of getting COVID-19," he added.
Robredo earlier called on the government to implemented targeted testing especially in areas with high coronavirus infection. For Metro Manila alone, she suggested that 90,000 tests must be conducted daily after positive rate reached 20.17 percent.
The government plans to ramp up testing efforts especially during the strict lockdown imposed in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces. Around 500,000 antigen testing kits would be used by the government to detect, isolate and treat people with the illness.