Massive PhilHealth Registration Set in Bikol

LEGAZPI CITY, Aug. 16 -- The government will be targeting at least 48 million Filipinos representing 53 percent of the total population in the massive open registration on September into the coverage of PhilHealth provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC).

The move to be spearheaded by the Department of Health (DoH) would be in line with the desire of President Noynoy Aquino to attain universal PhilHealth coverage for all Filipinos in three years.

DoH regional director for Bicol Nestor Santiago Jr. on Friday said Health Secretary Enrique Ona has instructed all the agency's field offices in the 17 regions of the country to lead activities in the registration in their respective areas using available facilities and manpower for its success.

Santiago said Ona, who currently sits as the chairperson of the Philhealth Board, has organized a multi-sectoral task force to set things into motion and realize President Aquino's directive the soonest time possible.

The secretary himself heads the said task force which is composed of the DOH, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

The DILG is tasked to help the DOH engage local chief executives in the enrolment of indigents in their respective jurisdictions as identified by the DSWD while DepEd would establish desks in all public schools to encourage students and their parents to register and become Philhealth members.

The activity would try to enroll the remaining Filipino citizens who are at least 21 years of age and non-members of the program. It is also open to 18 to 20 years old who are still unregistered; those not issued their Philhealth Number Card or Family Health Card yet; and those already registered but who may want to update their membership profile with Philhealth.

Santiago said the program mainly targets those from the self-employed and informal sector who comprise some 53 percent of the population and of which a substantial portion can afford to pay for health insurance as individually paying members (IPMs).

On the other hand, the low income as well as those without the means to pay shall benefit from sponsorships where the national and local governments and other sponsors shoulder the premiums for their annual coverage, he said.

Targeted citizens are also enjoined to go to any of Philhealth's 17 regional offices and close to 100 service offices in their locality.

Upon registration, enrollees will be advised to activate their membership by paying the required contribution of at least P300 for a quarter or P1,200 for a year's contribution at any accredited collecting partners nearest them.

A duly activated membership and completion of all eligibility requirements shall entitle a member and his or her qualified dependents medical care subsidies when confined in accredited hospitals anywhere in the country.

"I encourage all Bikolanos, especially Philhealth non-members, to go out and avail of this opportunity to be registered and secure financial protection that they will need in times of emergencies and medical situations in the family," Santiago said.

The DoH regional office, he said, expects more than 2.5 million Bikolanos representing over 50 percent of the region's total population to be registered.

Bikol region covers the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, Catanduanes and Masbate; the cities of Legazpi, Tabaco, Ligao in Albay; Naga and Iriga in Camarines Sur; Sorsogon in Sorsogon province; Masbate in the island of Masbate and 107 municipalities had a total population of about 5.1 million based on the 2009 census.