AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee

AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee has called on the Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to shoulder the unpaid bills of indigent and financially incapacitated patients in private and public hospitals, or else risk delaying their treatment.

In filing House Resolution (HR) No. 2104, Lee stressed the importance of the effective implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 11223 or the “Universal Health Care Act”, which mandated the agencies to enforce comprehensive health services for all Filipinos.

“The UHC Act, signed into law in 2019, guarantees that all Filipinos will have access to comprehensive health services, including outpatient services and specialty care. Several years have passed since this was enacted but Filipinos, especially the indigents, remain burdened with lack of hospital care,” Lee said in a statement Tuesday, Dec. 3.

The Bicolano underscored that DOH and PhilHealth need to address the tedious administrative and documentation requirement for claims which remains to be a major obstacle for hospitals and patients, especially for indigent individuals who may not have the necessary means, knowledge, or support to navigate complex processes promptly. 

“Simplify, streamline, and liberalize the requirements for hospitals and patients. Pagaanin natin ang pasanin ng mga pasyente at kanilang pamilya na nag-aalala na nga sa sakit ay problemado pa sa gastusin sa gamot at pagpapagamot,” Lee said.

(Let's ease the burden on these patients and their families, who worry not only about the ailment that their going through but also the money that they need to pay for medication and hospitalization.)

“Tulungan natin sila, imbes na pahirapan! (Let's help them, instead of burden them)” added the aspiring senator.

A staunch health advocate, Lee was the driving force behind the proposal to increase PhilHealth benefits by 30 percent which was implemented last Feb. 14. 

The state health insurer's benefit package for hemodialysis was also expanded from P2,600 to P6,350 per session and from 90 sessions per year to 156 sessions annually. Breast cancer treatment coverage was also significantly increased from P100,000 to P1.4 million.