Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa has expressed support for a legislative push to include mammogram and ultrasound in the list of free healthcare benefits available to Filipinos.
Citing the Universal Health Care (UHC) law's provision for primary care benefit packages, Herbosa emphasized the importance of expanding access to preventive screenings, particularly for women's health.
"Iyan din ang hinahanap ko sa PhilHealth kasi sinabi dun sa batas ng UHC na gagawa ang PhilHealth ng mga primary care benefit packages (That's also what I'm looking for in PhilHealth because it was stated in the UHC law that PhilHealth will create primary care benefit packages)," Herbosa said during an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo on Monday, March 11.
Highlighting the financial burden faced by many seeking private-sector mammograms, which can cost upwards of P5,000, he emphasized the potential impact of PhilHealth subsidies on easing this expense for citizens, particularly those in need of yearly screenings.
"Mahal ito kung iisipin mo, pero kung ma-sa-subsidized ng PhilHealth ang kalahati nyan ay malaking luwag na sa ating mga mamamayan lalo na sa nangangailangan ng yearly mammography (It's expensive if you think about it, but if PhilHealth subsidizes half of it, it will greatly benefit our citizens, especially those in need of yearly mammography),” Herbosa said.
Expanding the scope of PhilHealth coverage, the DOH chief advocated for the inclusion of essential services like cervical cancer screenings, colon cancer treatments, prostate exams, endoscopies, and colonoscopies.
"Ngayon kasi in-patient lang ang sinasagot ng PhilHealth, 'yung outpatient ay gusto nating magkaroon ng packages at ito ang primary care benefit (Currently, PhilHealth only covers in-patient services, but we want to have packages for outpatient services as well, and these would be part of the primary care benefit)," Herbosa said.
However, gaps in coverage remain evident, with preventive measures such as colonoscopies not included in existing Z Benefit Packages.
"Hindi pa sagot ng PhilHealth ito, pero 'yan ang gusto kong mga masagot at eventually ay ma-subsidize para matulungan ang mga kababayan natin (PhilHealth does not cover this yet, but these are the services that I want to be covered and eventually subsidized to help our fellow citizens)," Herbosa noted.
While an endoscopy package exists, he stressed the critical importance of screenings and expressed hope for future PhilHealth subsidies to address these gaps and better serve the population's healthcare needs.
Moreover, Herbosa clarified that implementing rules and regulations (IRR) is “unnecessary” to exempt persons with disabilities (PWD) from contributing to PhilHealth, as it has long been a law that has not been enforced.
"Magre-rehistro lang sila. Hindi kailangan ng IRR dahil batas 'yan na very simple, na hindi na sila magbabayad ng contribution (They just need to register. There's no need for an IRR because it's a very simple law, stating that they no longer need to pay contributions)," Herbosa explained.
Emphasizing the simplicity of this legal provision, he clarified that PWDs need only register under their category at PhilHealth offices, whether employed or not, to access benefits as direct or indirect contributors.
Herbosa pointed out that there are employed individuals with disabilities (PWDs) who will contribute “directly” to PhilHealth, while those without jobs will still be considered “indirect” contributors.