(MANILA BULLETIN)

A pro-health congressman believes that a lot can still be done to improve Republic Act (RA) No.11223 or the celebrated Universal Health Care Act (UHC).

This, as Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray Reyes lamented the results of a recent study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), which showed how Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) members still pay out-of-pocket for medical services despite the law.

"Malaking ginhawa po ang ating UHC law ngunit marami pa tayong dapat gawin para lalo pa itong mapabuti (Our UHC law provides us big relief, but a lot still needs to be done to improve it)," Reyes said.

In its December 2022 study, PIDS said the elderly, women, rural and poor Filipinos are more likely to spend more, with the national health insurance program coverage limited to 40 percent of total hospital costs.

Referring to the celebration of Philippine Independence Day last Monday, June 12, the rookie congressman said: "This should inspire us lawmakers to craft laws that would free Filipinos from out-of-pocket medical expenses."

"I for one will continue to push for additional taxes for sugar sweetened beverages not only to help fund UHC but also to promote healthier lifestyle among Filipinos," added Reyes.

Enacted in 2019 during the previous Duterte administration, the UHC Law made all Filipinos automatic members of PhilHealth. This placed them under the coverage of the National Health Insurance Program of the government.

Apart from crafting laws in congress, Anakalusugan Party-list continues to bring healthcare access closer to people in underserved areas.

Recently, Anakalusugan partnered with local government units (LGUs) in Batangas to vaccinate senior citizens and other vulnerable sectors against Pneumonia.

An estimated total of 1,000 beneficiaries availed of the Anti-Pneumonia vaccination drive in the towns of Laurel, Balete, Sta. Teresita, Malvar, and Nasugbu.