Recognizing its benefits, Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal is prodding all Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) members to take full advantage of the government’s newly launched Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (GAMOT) package, which provides up to P20,000 worth of free medicines per year for every member.

The program, launched by PhilHealth in partnership with various private drugstore companies with Medical Depot being the first, expands access to treatment by covering 75 types of medicines, up from 21 previously offered under the Konsultasyong Sulit Tama (Konsulta) benefits package. It took effect on Aug. 21 under PhilHealth Circular No. 2025-0013.

Nazal, part of the House Minority Bloc in the 20th Congress, says the GAMOT initiative is a major step forward in guaranteeing health care for every Filipino.

“Every PhilHealth member is now entitled to P20,000 worth of medicines each year—not per family, but per individual,” Nazal said.

The medicines include treatments for common illnesses and chronic conditions such as infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease, nervous system disorders and other supportive therapies.

“We encourage all members to register, get their prescriptions from accredited doctors, and claim their medicines at accredited pharmacies like Medical Depot. With this, no Filipino should be forced to skip treatment because of cost,” he added.

Meanwhile, former BH Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera said PhilHealth Vice President Bernadette Licco approached the party-list for help in securing a pharmacy partner for the program’s launch.

“We immediately introduced the Medina family of Medical Depot, and then they became PhilHealth’s first accredited pharmacy for the Gamot package,” Herrera said.

“This shows that strong partnerships between government and the private sector can deliver life-saving benefits directly to our people,” she added.

The launch at Medical Depot Vertis North was attended by Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa, PhilHealth President Edwin Mercado—who became the first patient to avail of medicines under GAMOT—as well as Medical Depot President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) JR Medina and Vice Chair Baby Medina.

JR Medina announced that 16 of Medical Depot’s Metro Manila stores are currently undergoing accreditation, with all 46 branches nationwide expected to be accredited by the end of the month.

“With the support of Bagong Henerasyon Party-list, we can now deliver medicines straight to the homes of PhilHealth members, especially seniors who have difficulty traveling,” he said.

Nazal stressed that the program fulfills President Marcos' promise in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July.

“We commend PhilHealth and DOH for turning this vision into reality. This is a historic breakthrough. Millions of Filipinos will finally have guaranteed access to essential medicines,” Nazal said.