Intensify free medical check-ups, consultations, PhilHealth told

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bong Go has urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), which has a P21-billion allocation in the national budget for 2023, to expand free medical check-ups and consultations under its Comprehensive Outpatient Benefits Package.

Go, who chairs the Senate committee on health, said the approval of his proposed special provision under the PhilHealth budget specified the use of the agency’s P21-billion budget for the expansion of benefit packages under the Universal Health Care Act, as reflected in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2023.

“I commend the adoption of my proposed special provision under the PhilHealth budget. I earlier proposed that this budget be used for the expansion of free dialysis coverage, mental health outpatient coverage, implementation of the comprehensive outpatient benefit package, including free medical check-ups, and other increases in benefit packages,” Go said.

“That’s already our gift to our countrymen this Christmas toward the New Year,” he added.

President Marcos signed Republic Act 11936 or the GAA of 2023 in a ceremony attended by Go at Malacañang last Dec. 16.

Go also commended PhilHealth for prioritizing his proposal to provide free medical check-ups to all Filipinos through the Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (Konsulta) package.

Services offered in PhilHealth Konsulta are medical check-ups, health screening and assessment, laboratory and diagnostic in select clinics and select medicines.

The senator encouraged all Filipinos to take advantage of the program and register through the PhilHealth website or visit the nearest PhilHealth Local Health Insurance Office in their communities.

“I pushed for free medical check-ups for our countrymen. It is part of Universal Health Care. Early detection is important to prevent the disease from getting worse. The problem is, many of our compatriots are afraid or don’t have the budget for check-ups,” he said.

“In the Konsulta program, PhilHealth’s response is to have check-ups or lab tests at our PhilHealth-accredited health facilities. It should be implemented fully and properly,” he added.

Meanwhile, Go continued to push for an increase in dialysis benefit coverage of PhilHealth to cover costs of dialysis treatments, sessions and procedures done at PhilHealth accredited-health facilities.

“Many people come to my office for dialysis (assistance), that is why I filed Senate Bill 190 that mandates PhilHealth to fully cover all costs of dialysis treatments, sessions and procedures done at PhilHealth accredited health facilities,” he said.

“But if PhilHealth can implement it now and next year, even better,” he added.

In line with his priorities to enhance the health sector of the country and to ensure that health services are more accessible to all, especially to those financially incapacitated, the senator has also filed bills establishing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Virology Institute of the Philippines, an emergency medical services system and Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers nationwide; a bill on advanced nursing education and a measure providing benefits and compensation to barangay health workers.

He then renewed his appeal to all concerned agencies to ensure adequate funding to support mental health programs, especially during these unprecedented times.

“Let’s always put each other’s health first. We don’t know when the next pandemic will be, but we better be prepared. The arrival of COVID-19 was an eye-opener for us, so let’s not let it happen again that we are not prepared and our hospitals are full,” Go said.

“I will do my best to continue supporting and proposing programs to further strengthen the country’s health sector. We just have to work together and we will overcome this crisis,” he added.