BAGUIO CITY,- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) or Philhealth, in a recent regional health forum with their stakeholders here in Cordillera, outlined the program thrust of President Aquino’s health agenda  otherwise known as ‘Kalusugan Pangkalahatan’ (Universal Health Care) and its implementation roadmap.

According to Philhealth Regional Vice President Leo Douglas Cardona, ensuring unified, affordable, accessible and quality health for all Filipinos is a heavy task but can be gradually and eventually achieved with the collaborative and convergence of effort of all stakeholders.

Cardona explained  that President Aquino is now embarking on the ‘Kalusugan Pangkalahatan’ health agenda, which based on its implementation roadmap, is now on its launch phase, to  be scaled  up by 2012 to 2013 and eventually moving to its sustainability phase up to 2016.

The ‘Kalusugan Pangkalahatan’ implementation roadmap is basically defined by three thrusts which includes: expansion of National Health Insurance Program enrollment and benefit delivery  using the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) National Household Targeting System as a tool; improvement/increase access to quality hospitals and health care facilities, and for the attainment of health related Millenium Development Goals.

Cardona stressed that Philhealth is  now working in achieving high benefit delivery rate through effective coverage, broadening access to benefits and high value support.

The primary goal of Philhealth is to ensure health insurance coverage to all the 5.2 million poor families listed in the NHTS and in line with this, Philhealth, starting September 1, will also implement 23 new insurance benefit package for its members  including 11 medical and 12 surgical cases.

In addition, Philhealth will also start to implement come September 1, a no ‘Balance Billing Policy’ for their NHTS and sponsored members. This aims to provide free hospitalization for the poor Filipino families when confined on Philhealth wards of government health facilities. *(JDP/LD-PIA CAR)