Navotas renews health coverage for poor families

The municipal government of Navotas, through the initiative of Mayor Toby Tiangco, yesterday renewed the health insurance coverage of the first 2,000 indigent families enrolled under the Navotas Hospitalization Program (NHP) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Tiangco personally led the distribution of NHP and PhilHealth cards to Navotas residents as part of the local government’s program to provide adequate health care for the poor.

The mayor also announced that the local government has doubled this year’s budget for the program from a P3.5-million to P7-million.

Under the PhilHealth program, poor Navoteños will be afforded quality health care services through its "Greater Medicare Para sa Masa."

The NHP, which started last year, provides for medical assistance amounting to P5,000 as subsidy to qualified patients admitted at the Tondo Medical Center.

Navotas has no full-service hospital yet.

The qualified applicant automatically entitles himself to a PhilHealth card, with pertinent information about the cardholder, issued by the local government.

The card is subject to yearly renewal and must be presented for identification and eligibility verification each time the member, or his or her legal dependents, avails of the benefits of the program. — Jerry Botial