Muntinlupa Rep. Jaime Fresnedi asked the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the Department of Health (DOH) to study the possibility of including expenses related to mental illness in insurance coverage.

Fresnedi made the announcement on the World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10, “established in 2003 in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) and is a significant advocacy and communication based event aimed at reaching national organizations, governments and the general public, giving a singular message that suicide can be prevented,” according to the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP).

Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Fresnedi said suicide rate or death by intentional self-harm in the country increased by 57.3 percent in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic compared to 2019.

He said since the Mental Health and Wellness Program was opened in Muntinlupa, the number of people who consulted has increased with many of them due to anxiety and depression.

“Kung accessible ang mental health and wellness program, mas marami ang matutulungan at posibleng maiiwasan ang mga kaso ng intentional self-harm (If mental health and wellness program is accessible, more people will be helped and possibly prevent cases of intentional self-harm),” said Fresnedi.

In his letter to PhilHealth officer-in-charge Eli Dino Santos and DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, Fresnedi said he has “been informed that medical expenses on illnesses pertaining to mental health are not covered by the health insurance provided by your agency.”

“In this regard, may I request that a study be conducted by the PhilHealth on this matter as I am confident that we are in agreement that the mental health of our people is as equally important as their physical well-being,” the Muntinlupa representative said.