The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists (IPAO) have commenced efforts to finalize the coverage guidelines for optometric services and prescription eyeglasses, aiming for completion by the end of November this year.

This initiative follows the signing of a commitment by DOH Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa and PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Emmanuel “Mandy” R. Ledesma, Jr., prompted by AGRI Partylist Representative Wilbert T. Lee’s interpellation during the budget deliberations in the Lower House.

In March, House Resolution No. 1623 was submitted, urging PhilHealth to incorporate optometric services into its benefits package, with a proposed coverage of up to P4,000. The resolution highlights the vital role of eye care in the lives of many Filipinos.

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) Vision Atlas and the Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health report that 90 percent of vision loss can be prevented or treated if detected early.

Additionally, the Philippine Eye Research Institute found that 16 percent of high school students have a refractive error, with 90 percent of these cases being myopia or nearsightedness.

IPAO Chairman Dr. Charlie L. Ho said that HR No. 1623 “paved the way and advocated for Filipinos' right to comprehensive optometric services and free prescription eyeglasses to improve productivity and reduce the financial burden on Filipinos.”

Citing IPAO’s estimates, Ho stated that about 28 million Filipinos suffer from presbyopia or have difficulty seeing nearby objects, especially among the marginalized sector, who can hardly afford quality eye care and prescription glasses due to limited access and affordability.

“Several Filipinos visit their eye care professionals only when vision loss begins to manifest or when it’s too late for any intervention,” Ho said. “Thus, PhilHealth’s expanded program to cover preventive optometric services and prescription eyeglasses comes at a very timely moment, as it will benefit millions of Filipinos,” he added.

Ho explained that while the timelines are tight, “everyone is working to ensure that everything remains on track and that PhilHealth’s coverage for preventive eye care and optometric services is successful and benefits all its members.”

Meanwhile, IPAO President Dr. John U. Nakpil stated that the commitment of the DOH and PhilHealth paved the way for the creation of a technical working group (TWG) to develop the guidelines for implementation.

IPAO, Nakpil said, proposed covering school children during the initial rollout to emphasize preventive eye and vision care and the early detection of myopia.

As this developed, Nakpil expressed the gratitude of the optometric community to Congress, the DOH, and PhilHealth for “being sensitive” to the healthcare needs of the people—especially the poor, who cannot see and cannot afford expensive eyeglasses.

“Ang mga mahihirap nating kababayan ang matutulungan po dito (Our poor countrymen will benefit from this),” Nakpil said.