Duterte bats for passage of universal healthcare bill

Duterte said covering all Filipinos against financial health risks is included in his administration’s thrusts, through its medium-term development plan. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday called on Congress to immediately pass the bill on Universal Health Care, which aims to provide an all-inclusive health coverage for Filipinos.

In his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), Duterte said once passed into law, the measure would ensure that every Filipino family gets the “appropriate, affordable, and quality health services in appropriate facilities and will be protected from financial burden due to sickness”.

Under the UHC bill, there will be an automatic inclusion of all Filipinos into the National Health Insurance Program.

Duterte said covering all Filipinos against financial health risks is included in his administration’s thrusts, through its medium-term development plan.

He has directed concerned agencies such as the Department of Health, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to streamline the various sources of financial assistance for people with health-related needs.

He said the government is currently institutionalizing the “unified implementation” of the “No Balance Billing Policy” through which, the government and the private healthcare providers can work out a system that would provide an order of charging of medical expenses.

The House passed its version of the measure last year, while a counterpart bill is pending before the Senate.

Presidential Spokesperson and former lawmaker Harry Roque authored the bill while he was still in Congress.