Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) president Dante A. Gierran on Monday, May 30, said the funds from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) will help the state insurer achieve Universal Health Care (UHC).
“his infusion of funds from PAGCOR and PCSO will help us achieve Universal Health Care,” he said during the signing ceremony for the joint circular on the guidelines for the operalization of PAGCOR and PCSO funds.
Per the PhilHealth, among the benefits that will be improved in consultation with PAGCOR and PCSO include “select medical and surgical procedures; expansion of case rates for hemodialysis up to 156 sessions; enhancement Z benefit packages for selected orthopedic implants, post kidney transplant, breast cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, open heart surgery for children (ventricular septal defect and tetralogy of fallot); and physical medicine and rehabilitation.”
The state insurer noted that the needed funding for the said benefit expansion “shall be released to PhilHealth through the General Appropriations Act starting the year 2023.”
“For the period 2019 to December 31, 2021, the accumulated fund is equivalent to P34.994 Billion,” the PhilHealth noted in its press briefer, pertaining to how much exactly will be transferred to the state insurer.
The inked joint circular prescribes the guidelines that will “operationalize the efficient and sustainable funding from PCSO, PAGCOR and National Government to PhilHealth’s individual based services under the Universal Health Care Program, pursuant to Rule IX, Section 37.2 in relation to Section 37.3 of the IRR of RA 11223.”
Under the UHC Law, PhilHealth said 50 percent of the National Government share from the income of PAGCOR as provided for in Presidential Decree No. 1869, as amended; and 40 percent of the Charity Fund, net of Documentary Stamp Tax Payments, and mandatory contributions of the PCSO as provided for in RA No. 1169, as amended, shall be transferred to PhilHealth for the improvement of its benefit packages that will cater to the vast majority of members here and abroad.
Also present in the signing ceremony were OIC-Deputy Treasurer and PhilHealth Board Member Eduardo Anthony G. Mariño III on behalf of Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, Undersecretary Mario Villaverde on behalf of Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III, PAGCOR Chairperson and CEO Andrea D. Domingo, and PCSO Chairperson Anselmo Simeon P. Pinili.