Sen.. Christopher “Bong” Go, on Wednesday, December 18, affirmed the reforms of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), which had been approved by its board recently. These reforms were appealed by Go and various stakeholders during the course of 11 hearings conducted by the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, which he chairs.
“Kung hindi dahil sa ating pakikipaglaban, hindi matutupad ang mga dagdag na benepisyo na ito. Sulit ang pangungulit,” Senator Go said, adding that he shared this fight with health advocates.
Senator Go has been consistently urging the state health insurer to expand its benefit packages, especially for the top 10 mortality diseases, increase case rates, and scrap its restrictive policies like the 24-hour confinement policy.
Senator Go likewise advocated for the coverage of additional services like dental and optometric services, preventive and emergency care, as well as provision of medicines and assistive devices.
During the recent hearing, PhilHealth Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Eli Santos confirmed that the PhilHealth Board had approved most of these benefit packages and reforms.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa PhilHealth. Nauna na nilang inalis ang Single Confinement Policy,” Senator Go said, referring to the rule that restricted PhilHealth benefits for recurring admissions within 90 days.
Senator Go has been instrumental in the scrapping of the Single Confinement Policy (SCP), which he described as anti-poor, illogical, and out-of-touch, having placed a heavy burden on Filipino families dealing with chronic or recurring illnesses.
In 2023 alone, 26,750 claims—many of which involved cases of pneumonia, acute gastroenteritis, and chronic kidney diseases—were denied due to the SCP, as stated in PhilHealth’s All Case Rates Public Policy No. 2 (PhilHealth Circular No. 0035, s. 2013).
“I also commend the recent approval of a second round of increases in selected case rates by 50 percent,” Senator Go said.
Senator Go has been vocal about adjusting case rates to help reduce out-of-pocket expenses for patients requiring expensive medical treatments. The PhilHealth Board recently approved a PHP 284 billion Corporate Operating Budget for 2025, reflecting various improvements in PhilHealth benefits.
“Galit ang tao ngayon dahil alam natin na maraming pasyente ang nanghihingalo ng walang pambayad sa ospital at marami pa rin ang takot magpa-ospital. Lugi ang Pilipino sa liit ng benepisyo mula sa PhilHealth,” Senator Go underscored.
In this connection, Senator Go urged PhilHealth to ensure that its funds benefit the people and to make its fund utilization more efficient; otherwise, it is the people who would suffer.
“Uulitin ko po, ang mahihirap na pasyente ang kawawa rito,” Go stressed, adding that the improvement of PhilHealth benefits would be a big help to indigent patients.
