CH ready to implement mandatory insurance

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City government is now ready to implement the mandatory health insurance under the Universal Health Care Act.

Councilor Niña Mabatid, vice chairman of the committee on health of the City Council, who was asked by Mayor Edgardo Labella to oversee the implementation of the Republic Act 11223, said that they have prepared for it.

 “The Universal health care has been adopted by Cebu Province. If the question is, are we ready? Yes, we are ready. I cannot discuss the details now, but we are ready,” Mabatid said.

In her privilege speech on July 23, Mabatid gave emphasis on the city’s need of reliable, consistent, and secured health care system. She said that R.A. 11223 is more reliable because all Filipinos will now be covered by PhilHealth regardless of employment status.

She said there will be meetings among service providers and hospitals to ensure that hospital bills incurred by patients admitted in public or private hospitals with ward accommodations will be charged nothing under the “no balance billing policy.”

“Our barangay health centers which are the primary grass root level for accessing these services lack doctors and equipment. This was highlighted with a resolution in 2018 appropriating 2.8 million for the purchase of stethoscopes and blood sugar monitoring devices for the 80 barangay health stations,” she said.

Mabatid said the landmark law will not only cover all Filipinos with health insurance under PhilHealth, but also lower expenses for checkups, selected laboratory tests and hospitalization.

She said the city has the most congested government hospitals because these are the only choices for the people who have no financial capacity to go to private hospitals.

With the new law, she said there will be major shift in the health delivery system, concentrating on prevention rather than curative, by creating clustered community health centers with better facilities and with assigned competent health professionals.

Mabatid said there will be creation of health systems integrated into the city and the province.

“Before I end this speech I’d like to share this to everyone because of poverty I gave birth to my first child, not in the hospital but in my home in Barangay Mabolo. I can never forget nga gi alsa ko sa akong papa because (of) uncontrolled bleeding. I almost lost my life but I got my second life back for a purpose. And this is what I am today, a businesswoman and a public servant and I will bridge the Cebuanos to a better healthcare,” she said.

Upon her motion, the City Council adopted and expressed support on the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act.

Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia, however, said the city should wait for the implementing rules and regulations of the law. Councilor Alvin Dizon, for his part, requested the agencies like the Department of Health to fast track the formulation of the IRR.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama, chairman on committee on health, said he will call for meetings among all stakeholders to discuss the implementation of the law in the city. — FPL (FREEMAN)