BACOLOD City – The provincial government of Negros Occidental has donated a parcel of land to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), which will serve as the permanent site of the agency’s local office here.
The deed of donation for the 1,239-sqm property located in Barangay Mansilingan was signed by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and PhilHealth Senior Vice President Dennis Mas in rites held at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall on Dec. 6.
“As an act of generosity, the donor, the province of Negros Occidental, does hereby transfer and convey unto the donee, PhilHealth, by way of donation the above-described property,” a portion of the document read.
“The donee has requested the donor for a vacant lot to house its local health insurance office (LHIO) building,” it added.
At present, PhilHealth is leasing a private building being occupied by its local office in this city.
The donation has been approved by the Provincial Board as provided in Resolution 0484 dated May 29, 2019.
Lacson, who received a certificate of appreciation from Mas and Monteverde, noted PhilHealth’s vital contribution in alleviating the high cost of medicines and hospitalization being paid by Filipinos.
Dilag said the date of the building construction has yet to be finalized as the PhilHealth management still has to approve the manner of the project implementation.
Under the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law of 2019, PhilHealth will implement a new premium schedule for direct contributors aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the National Health Insurance Fund, which will guarantee that all Filipinos can avail of outpatient benefit packages and immediate eligibility to benefits during confinement.
Under Circular 2019-0009, the premium for direct contributors is pegged at 2.75 percent of the monthly basic salary, with an adjusted ceiling of P50,000.
Beginning 2020, PhilHealth will increase the rate to three percent and will be adjusted to increments of 0.5 percent every year until it reaches the five-percent limit in 2025, as provided in the UHC Law.
Mas, who heads the Management Service Sector, signed on behalf of PhilHealth president and chief executive Ricardo Morales, in the presence of Janet Monteverde, acting regional vice president of PhilHealth-Western Visayas, and Romel Dilag, head of LHIO-Bacolod.(With a report from PNA/PN)
