House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez hailed on Sunday, Feb 23 the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for rolling out expanded benefits, particularly its new outpatient emergency care coverage and increased case rate packages for critical illnesses.

Implemented upon the order of President Marcos, the benefits are a significant step toward making universal healthcare more accessible and affordable for Filipinos, Romualdez said.

“Ito ang klase ng repormang diretsong nararamdaman ng tao. Mas maraming Pilipino na ngayon ang makakapagpagamot agad, hindi na kailangang maghintay ng matagal o matakot sa gastos bago magpunta sa ospital,” Speaker Romualdez, a lawyer from the University of the Philippines (UP), said.

(This is the kind of reform that is directly felt by the people. Now, more Filipinos will be able to avail of medical services, no more waiting in line or fearing huge expenses before even going to the hospital.)

With the introduction of the Facility-Based Emergency (FBE) benefit in accordance with the Outpatient Emergency Care Benefit (OECB) package, PhilHealth members can now receive emergency medical attention in accredited hospitals even without being admitted.

Previously, many low-income patients were turned away or forced to delay treatment because PhilHealth only covered hospital confinement. 

At the same time, PhilHealth has significantly increased case rate packages for nearly 9,000 medical conditions, providing higher financial coverage for pneumonia, cancer treatments, heart surgeries, maternal health services, and other costly treatments.

Speaker Romualdez noted that these adjustments provide much-needed financial relief for Filipino families. 

“Ang sakit, hindi dapat nagiging pabigat sa bulsa ng bawat Pilipino. Dati, ang isang simpleng sakit tulad ng pulmonya ay maaaring magdulot ng pagkabaon sa utang. Ngayon, mas malaki na ang sagot ng PhilHealth, at mas maraming buhay na ang maliligtas.”

(Ailments shouldn't be a burden to Filipinos' finances. In the past, a simple case of pneumonia can lead to huge debt. Now, PhilHealth has bigger coverage, thus more lives can be saved.)

While celebrating this milestone, Romualdez, Leyte's 1st district congressman, acknowledged that further improvements were necessary to make healthcare more accessible and efficient. 

He emphasized the need for faster claims processing, better hospital accreditation to ensure more facilities can provide PhilHealth-covered treatments, and stronger public awareness campaigns to educate Filipinos on their expanded benefits.

As leader of the 306-strong House of Representatives, the Speaker reaffirmed his commitment to prioritizing healthcare reforms that protect Filipinos from financial burdens and ensure that quality medical services are available to all.