Legarda Looks Forward to Enactment of Universal Healthcare Bill

Senator Loren Legarda today expressed optimism that the measure providing healthcare coverage to the poorest Filipinos will soon become a law.

Legarda, principal author of the Universal Healthcare Bill, said that the measure will ensure that one of the basic needs of the people, which is healthcare, will be adequately provided by the government.

“The health of the public deserves to be on top in the scheme of priorities of the government. The proposed measure mandates that an affordable and accessible healthcare coverage should be made available to all citizens, especially to the 25 million poorest Filipinos,” she said.

The Universal Healthcare Bill mandates the national government to entirely subsidize the Philhealth contributions of indigent enrollees.

“Our aim is to ensure that no mother has to lose a child from sickness because she could not afford to bring her son or daughter to the hospital; no husband has to lose his wife from giving birth because she was not able to access healthcare services; no child has to lose an ailing parent due to lack of resources for hospitalization. The Universal Healthcare Law will be an important legacy to the Filipinos,” Legarda stressed.