House OK’s bill granting president power to suspend PhilHealth rate hikes
THE HOUSE of Representatives approved on third and final reading a bill granting the Philippine president authority to suspend and adjust contribution rate hikes of the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
During Monday’s plenary session, 273 congressmen supported the measure, three voted no and none abstained.
House Bill No. 6772 allows the president to suspend and adjust the period of implementation of scheduled premium rate increases, as recommended by the PhilHealth board, during national emergencies, calamities, or other public concerns.
“While PhilHealth only aims to fulfill and remain faithful to its mandate, imposing a higher premium on Filipinos in these current conditions where most of them are grappling with the pandemic will definitely enforce a new round of financial burden to its members,” Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, the bill’s principal author, said in its explanatory note.
Mr. Romualdez added that suspending PhilHealth premium rate adjustments would give members a “much-needed relief during national emergencies or calamities and will assure Filipinos that the government is sensitive to their sentiments in this difficult time.”
If enacted into law, the Department of Health may request Congress to appropriate supplemental funding to meet PhilHealth’s targeted milestones.
The bill seeks to amend Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Healthcare Act, where PhilHealth contributions are expected to increase annually starting in 2020 by 3%.
Subsequent hikes are: 3.5% in 2021, 4% in 2022, 4.5% in 2023, and 5% in 2024-2025. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
