MANILA -- A partylist lawmaker representing the senior citizens on Thursday revealed that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is planning to increase the premium allotment for senior citizens from PHP3,120 to PHP5,000 per patient.
Senior Citizen Partylist Rep. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay revealed the planned premium hike after meeting with PhilHealth acting president Roy Ferrer on Wednesday.
"Government intends to subsidize all of these premium payments via the 2019 national budget, from the proceeds of sin taxes, as mandated by law," Magsaysay said.
According to the lawmaker, PhilHealth will request the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) a PHP27.177 billion allotment for the coverage of senior citizens in the 2019 budget.
"This is a positive and responsive action on the part of PhilHealth, a sign of goodwill of its new leadership in keeping true to its mandate of serving all senior citizens of the Philippines with affordable, reliable, and sustainable healthcare security," she said.
"Hopefully the DBM will support this move in rectifying the disenfranchisement of the elderly from the national healthcare insurance program in the past," she added.
Magsaysay also revealed that PhilHealth has pledged to resume coverage for all senior citizens as mandated by Republic Act 10546, particularly for the full implementation of the primary care benefits package.
The agency has been hounded by corruption and mismanagement issues, such as the alleged diversion of the PHP10.6 billion funds for senior citizens to the supposed construction of rural health units in 2015. (PNA)
