Parañaque City 2nd district Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan has underscored the need to institutionalize free annual medical check-ups for Filipinos in order to save them from financially-draining health issues in the future.

Yamsuan says that while free medical consultations are being provided under the Yaman ng Kalusugan (YAKAP) program, it would be better if it becomes a benefit anchored on law.

One of his measures in the 20th Congress, House Bill (HB) No.2239, seeks not only to accomplish this but also ensure its sustainability and adequate funding under the national budget even beyond the term of the current administration. 

Detecting and treating serious health conditions in their early stages through annual medical checkups will ensure better health outcomes and minimize risks of developing life-threatening, financially draining ailments for many Filipinos, Yamsuan said. 

The proposed Free Annual Medical Checkup Act will give every Filipino access to preventive healthcare, which, in the long run, also benefits the government in the form of reduced  state-subsidized spending on expensive treatments for severe illnesses such as diabetes, kidney and heart diseases. 

Yamsuan commended the Department of Health (DOH) for  exploring the possibility of providing better hospital accommodations for paying contributors of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) as part of the Marcos administration’s plan to expand the  package of benefits for middle-income workers. 

“This plan is laudable and we hope that it will be implemented soon to include free annual medical check-ups. Investing in this proactive measure to prevent diseases is better than prolonged and expensive hospital confinement for ailments which have reached their severe stages because they were left undetected,” the rookie district solon noted.

President Marcos has instructed the DOH to review and expand benefits for middle-income workers who comprise the bulk of paying Philhealth contributors. DOH Secretary Herbosa says PhilHealth is eyeing better hospital accommodations and additional packages under the Zero-Balance Billing (ZBB) scheme as part of these expanded benefits.

He also says that while the ZBB is already in place, its implementation still faces significant obstacles such as the lack of government-owned healthcare facilities and medical professionals manning public hospitals.

The Parañaque lawmaker cited an earlier statement of Herbosa, who said that for  every 1,000 people, only 0.5 hospital beds are available on average in the Philippines.  

This ratio is way below the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of two beds per 1,000 people.

Moreover, Herbosa also acknowledged that in Metro Manila alone, the bed capacity is provided mostly by private hospitals, which outnumber the 17 DOH hospitals and four government-owned and -controlled hospitals in the National Capital Region. 

“These realities demonstrate the challenges facing the effective implementation of the YAKAP,  ZBB and other programs aligned with the UHC (Universal Health Care) law. We need to come up with proactive measures while the government is still in the process of expanding our healthcare capacity,” Yamsuan said. 

Under HB No.2239, PhilHealth is mandated to establish a system for the regular scheduling and provision of free annual medical check-ups for all Filipinos.

The free annual medical check-up benefit under the bill covers consultations, physical examinations, and routine laboratory and diagnostic tests such as blood count, lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, chest x-ray and urinalysis.

The laboratory and diagnostic tests shall be expanded subject to the availability of PhillHealth funds.