Amid expected 18% increase in PH health care costs LEE TO DOH, PHILHEALTH: RAMP UP MORE BENEFIT INCREASES WITH BILLIONS OF FUNDS
Amid expected 18% increase in PH health care costs LEE TO DOH, PHILHEALTH: RAMP UP MORE BENEFIT INCREASES WITH BILLIONS OF FUNDS “Paspasan pa ang pagdaragdag ng benepisyo!” This was the statement of AGRI Party-list Representative and Senatorial aspirant Manoy Wilbert Lee as he reiterated his call to further increase benefits provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in response to the projected 18.3% increase in health care costs in the Philippines this year. In the latest Global Medical Trends Survey conducted by WTW, a global advisory, broking and solutions company, the Philippines is expected to post the double digit increase in medical costs, the second highest in Asia Pacific next to Indonesia which is expected to incur 19.4% increase. “Kung magmamahal pa ang pagpapa-ospital ngayong taon, hindi rin gaanong mararamdaman ang mga dagdag na benepisyong ipinatupad ng PhilHealth. Kaya dapat lang na dagdagan pa ito para naman talagang mabawasan ang pangamba at alalahanin ng ating mga kababayan sa pagkakasakit,” the solon from Bicol said. “DOH as the head of PhilHealth Board and the state health insurer itself must ramp up its efforts to utilize the more than P500 billion, or half a trillion available funds to further increase the benefits and genuinely achieve the objectives of Universal Health Care,” Lee said. The Bicolano lawmaker likewise reiterated his call to leave no stone unturned to completely allay the fears of Filipinos from falling ill as they fear sinking further into poverty due to their inability to buy medicines and afford high hospital costs. “Nadagdagan na ang mga benepisyo, pero kaya pang bilisan at dagdagan ang mga ito. Kung kailangan mag-overtime ng DOH at PhilHealth, gawin na ito. Walang dapat sayangin dahil buhay ng mga kababayan natin ang nakasalalay dito at sobrang delayed na rin ng implementasyon nito,” Lee said. It can be recalled that the Bicolano lawmaker was the first to expose in September 2023 that PhilHealth had enormous available funds amounting to more than P500 billion, aside from the more than P100 billion government subsidy every year. While Lee acknowledges the recent implementation of another 50% increase in PhilHealth benefits covering 9,000 case rates, a result of his consistent push to improve the country’s healthcare services, he emphasizes that there’s still a lot to be done, highlighting the other commitments he sealed that DOH and PhilHealth have yet to comply with. The said commitment was signed by no less than DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa and PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. during the House Plenary deliberations on the 2025 DOH Budget that ended in a mic scuffle last September 25. Aside from the recent 50% increase, Lee was also instrumental in the 30% increase in PhilHealth benefits which started on February 14, after more than a decade of case rates not being reviewed or adjusted. Lee also prevailed in pushing for free dialysis, increase in coverage for breast cancer treatment from P100,000 to P1.4 million, free eye checkup, free cataract extraction and free prescription glasses, and pushing for expanded benefits on heart ailments, new benefit packages for outpatient emergency care services and kidney transplant. “Marami na tayong napagtagumpayan, pero hindi matatapos ang ating pangangalampag hangga’t hindi pa libre ang gamot at pagpapagamot ng mga Pilipino. Dapat sagot na ito ng gobyerno. Patuloy natin itong ipaglalaban dahil ang layunin ko: Gamot Mo, Sagot Ko!” Lee said. “Marami na rin tayong kasama sa panawagan na ito na ating sinimulan mahigit isang taon na ang nakakaraan. Ituloy lang natin ang paniningil at lakasan pa natin ang ating boses para tuluyang makamit ang isang patas, de-kalidad at mapagmalasakit na serbisyong pangkalusugan sa bansa,” he added. ### Healthcare Policy Previous Post Latest Posts 09 Jan 2025 Amid expected 18% increase in PH health care costs LEE TO DOH, PHILHEALTH: RAMP UP MORE BENEFIT INCREASES WITH BILLIONS OF FUNDS 04 Jan 2025 Agriculture and Health: Manoy Wilbert “Wise” Lee’s Twin Pillars of Advocacy in 2024 03 Jan 2025 PhilHealth Reforms: How Manoy Wilbert “Wise” Lee Redefined Healthcare in 2024 Categories Healthcare Policy Public Health Initiatives Healthcare Ethics and Legal Issues Healthcare Access and Equity Spread the News
Lee Calls for Proactive PhilHealth Reforms to Benefit Filipinos by 2025
Lee Calls for Proactive PhilHealth Reforms to Benefit Filipinos by 2025 Cong. Manoy Wilbert “Wise” Lee has reiterated his demand for immediate and comprehensive reforms in the Philippine healthcare system, urging the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth to prioritize the release of expanded health benefits. While the PhilHealth Board recently approved a 50% increase in selected case rates and new benefits such as optometric services for children and open-heart surgery, Lee said these efforts fall short of the commitments previously made to Congress. “Filipinos deserve better. Despite repeated calls to utilize PhilHealth’s over ₱500 billion in available funds, progress has been excruciatingly slow,” Lee lamented. “These funds are not ‘excess’—they are meant to alleviate the burdens of our people, especially in securing affordable medical care and medicines.” The Bicolano lawmaker also pointed to the inefficiencies within the DOH and PhilHealth as contributing factors to the healthcare system’s inadequacies. He stressed that the unused funds could have already financed critical services like diagnostic tests and hospital procedures for vulnerable Filipinos. “Every day of delay is another day millions of Filipinos suffer,” Lee added. The health advocate concluded by calling on the DOH to make it their New Year’s resolution to proactively enhance health benefits and ensure that every peso in public health funds is used effectively. “The focus should be on saving lives, not delaying action,” he said. #HealthcareReforms #PhilHealthFunds #WiseLeadership Healthcare Policy Previous Post Latest Posts 30 Dec 2024 Lee Calls for Proactive PhilHealth Reforms to Benefit Filipinos by 2025 25 Dec 2024 Lee Urges Action to End Healthcare Delays, Opposes PhilHealth Zero Subsidy 24 Dec 2024 Lee Calls for Accountability in PhilHealth Fund Utilization, Slams Delays Categories Healthcare Policy Public Health Initiatives Healthcare Ethics and Legal Issues Healthcare Access and Equity Spread the News
Lee Urges Action to End Healthcare Delays, Opposes PhilHealth Zero Subsidy
Lee Urges Action to End Healthcare Delays, Opposes PhilHealth Zero Subsidy Cong. Manoy Wilbert “Wise” Lee has renewed his call for a comprehensive plan to address delays in health benefit implementation, warning that PhilHealth’s lack of urgency is leaving millions of Filipinos without adequate healthcare support. He also criticized the removal of government subsidy for PhilHealth in the 2025 budget, describing it as a direct result of inefficiency and poor planning. “The zero subsidy for PhilHealth is not because the funds are surplus—it’s because they’re unused. These are funds meant to save lives, and their idleness reflects a dereliction of duty by those in charge,” Lee said. He called out DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa for failing to deliver a detailed plan to lower out-of-pocket healthcare costs, despite committing to do so during budget deliberations. Lee pointed to recent successes, including the approval of free eye checkups, expanded heart procedure coverage, and a 50% increase in case rates, but stressed that much more needs to be done. “These measures are just the beginning. We cannot tell Filipinos to delay getting sick or postpone their surgeries while we wait for benefits to be implemented,” he said. The solon called for a shift in policy direction, emphasizing that healthcare should be free and accessible to all. “The government must act with urgency and compassion. Every peso of unused funds is a missed opportunity to save lives,” he concluded. #HealthIsARight #PhilHealthReforms #WiseMoves Healthcare Policy Previous Post Latest Posts 30 Dec 2024 Lee Urges Action to End Healthcare Delays, Opposes PhilHealth Zero Subsidy 24 Dec 2024 Lee Calls for Accountability in PhilHealth Fund Utilization, Slams Delays 23 Dec 2024 Filipinos deserve better! LEE DEMANDS IMPROVED PH HEALTHCARE SERVICES BY 2025 Categories Healthcare Policy Public Health Initiatives Healthcare Ethics and Legal Issues Healthcare Access and Equity Spread the News