The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has agreed to extend its services to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City and at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said on Thursday, Nov. 21.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. and PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel R. Ledesma on Wednesday, Nov. 20, signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) “aimed at ensuring health protection for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the NBP and CIW."
Catapang said “this partnership aligns with the government’s vision and commitment under the Universal Health Care (UHC) law, which seeks to guarantee that all Filipinos, including PDLs in the New Bilibid Prison and the Correctional Institution for Women, have financial access to primary healthcare providers through the implementation of the Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (KonSulTa) Program.”
Under the MOA, the BuCor said that “PhilHealth will obtain funding from the national government via the Department of Budget and Management for indirect contributors and will also gather premium contributions from direct contributors to the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP).”
“Additionally, PhilHealth will facilitate the accreditation of both the NBP Hospital and the Health and Welfare Unit of the CIW,” it said.
The BuCor, on the other hand, will raise “awareness among its PDLs about social health insurance by assisting with membership registration under the compulsory health insurance program and enrollment in the KonSulTa Program.”
It will also “provide preventive health services, including health screenings and assessments tailored to individuals' life stages and health risks within their jurisdiction.”
At the same time, the BuCor may “assist in registering PDLs to ensure their premium contributions as indirect contributors, utilizing the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Listahan Database (DSWD) in connection with the PhilHealth Indigent Program.”