Health Care Bills Must Also Be An Urgent Legislative Priority – Legarda

SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA PROPOSED THROUGH THE ESTABLISHING OF A CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM WHERE ELIGIBLE CHILDREN FROM LOW INCOME FAMILIES SHALL BE ENTITLED TO A FULL RANGE OF HEALTH SERVICES THAT WILL INCLUDE REGULAR CHECK UPS, IMMUNIZATION, LABORATORY TESTS AND DENTAL CARE.
Legarda’s Senate Bill 2120 intends to increase the scope and coverage of the National Health Insurance Policy to cover health needs of children.
During the Senate Committee on Health hearing yesterday, Senator Legarda inquired if the existing law, Republic Act No. 7875 otherwise known as the National Health Insurance Act has been responsive in giving basic health care services.
Legarda is also pushing for the passage of one of her priority bills, Universal Healthcare Coverage, which will ensure that indigent Filipinos are granted with basic health care services.
Senate Bill No. 4 requires the National Government to fully subsidize the annual requirement contributions for the coverage of indigent families in the National Health Insurance program. It also opens the grounds for sponsorships and donors to cover the poorest segment of the informal sector.
Also in yesterday’s hearing, Legarda reiterated the need to grant compulsory coverage to accredited Barangay Health Workers in the National Health Insurance Program.
Senate Bill No. 1340 of Legarda mandates that all Barangay Health Workers (BHW) and their dependents to be enrolled in the National Health Insurance Program to enable to avail themselves of an adequate package of health services that includes in-patient hospital care, emergency and transfer services and other supplementary health benefits.
“A healthy nation is a productive nation, I hope that side by side with bills that will benefit the economy, these health bills will be certified as urgent.” Legarda concluded.