By PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA — An intensified information campaign is needed to spread the importance of a mandatory health insurance coverage for all senior citizens, said Rep. Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City.
The Senate and the House of Representatives have separately approved measures seeking to automatically enroll in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) all Filipinos aged 60 years and above.
“Ginapangayuan na nila ako conformity sa mga differences sa Senado para go na,” said Treñas, one of the authors of the consolidated House Bill (HB) 4593.
Senate Bill 712 and HB 4593 are now ready to be tackled at the bicameral conference.
“Information (about the measure) should be disseminated to inform all senior (citizens),” Treñas told Panay News.
If information about the measure is poorly disseminated, the measure becomes “an exercise in futility,” the congressman said.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, author of the Senate counterpart bill, said the national government can afford to make all senior citizens — indigent or not — members of PhilHealth.
“Insuring our elderly should not be viewed as revenue loss,” said Recto. “It should rather be viewed as a productive expenditure and debt paid to those who gave the best years of their lives so ours will be better.”
There are more than six million senior citizens in the country, but only close to four million are PhilHealth members, government data showed.
According to Recto, PhilHealth has P116 billion in reserves and P62 billion in income as of December 2013.
Senate President Franklin Drilon said the PhilHealth coverage measure will provide senior citizens “accessible” and “sufficient” health care services.
“(It) will advance the health of millions of Filipinos and will uphold their right toward effective and easily attainable medical services,” he said./PN
