Noy to sign bill on senior citizens’ health insurance

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is set to sign this week a bill providing mandatory health insurance for senior citizens.

The signing of the measure will cap the celebration of Senior Citizens’ Week, which under the law falls on the first week of October.

The House of Representatives and the Senate have passed the bill granting Filipinos aged 60 years and above health insurance coverage to be provided by the state-owned Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan authored the House version of the measure. Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senators Ralph Recto, Loren Legarda, Cynthia Villar and Teofisto Guingona lll are the authors of the Senate version.

Tan said PhilHealth insurance coverage would be given to all senior citizens, regardless of economic status.

“The passage of this important law is a token of our appreciation to all our elders who have made significant contribution in the society. The country’s celebration of the Elderly Filipino Week will be truly meaningful because of this development,” she said.

She said the present law, Republic Act 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens’ Act of 2010 grants insurance coverage only to indigent senior citizens.

However, Tan, a rural doctor, noted that the Constitution clearly provides that all senior citizens shall be given preferential care and protection by the state.

This is the reason why Congress decided to provide universal coverage, she said.

“The bill will enable all our senior citizens to feel more secure during the remaining years of their lives because of the guarantee that they will have access to medical and health services when the need arises,” she stressed.

“We have the responsibility to treat our senior citizens with the respect and dignity they deserve, more importantly because they have a significant role to play and contribution to make in the transformation of our country.