In the wake of a social media post that had gone viral about a 47-year-old man whose family was unable to claim any Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) benefits after his death despite being a paying member for 20 years, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto proposed to tie the type of PhilHealth benefit packages that members could get to the amount of contributions they paid.
This means members who paid more or have higher premium contributions can receive medical benefits better than those who paid less or none at all.
The smaller contributions may be due to the member’s low monthly basic pay or short period of employment. But if he or she is unemployed and is a senior citizen, enrollment in PhilHealth is automatic. No contributions are required.
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Recto’s proposal drew strong opposition from several healthcare groups. They urged the government to instead increase the budget allocated for PhilHealth to prevent “polarization” between direct and indirect contributors.FEATURED STORIES
