City signs MOA for PhilHealth’s new policy

THE City Government here signed recently a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with suppliers and providers of medical supplies in Central Luzon to complement PhilHealth’s “No Balance Billing” (NBB) policy.

The NBB is a new PhilHealth policy mandating that no other fees shall be charged or paid for by the PhilHealth patients who availed of any of the identified 22 medical and surgical cases under the case rates package payment scheme and to provide optimal financial risk protection for all its members, especially the most vulnerable groups, including the poorest of the poor.

According to Dr. Lucielle Ayuyao, Secretariat of the NBB at the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (RLMMC) formerly Ospital Ning Angeles, the said policy will give Angeleños the access to proper health care services.

“The NBB is a directive of President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino and will be implemented here in Angeles City so that more patients will be admitted to our health care services, especially those under the indigent category,” she said.

For his part, Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan said the NBB will supplement the wide array of affordable health care services in the city.

“The NBB policy will truly help the city in its goal to provide more medical services to Angeleños. It is another welcome policy here in Angeles, as it will surely help us serve more people with our Renal Care Unit, the Medikalinga, regular cataract operations and bi-weekly medical and dental missions held in our 33 barangays,” the mayor said.

Additionally, the city also signed a memorandum of agreement with three accredited and reputable medicine suppliers in Central Luzon to expedite the acquisition of medicines in the city.

Steritex Medical System, Sta. Ana Enterprises and Pediadose Vaccines responded to the call of the City Government and the RLMMC to provide commonly used medicines at the most reasonable rates.

Stertitex representative Mylene Malit said, “This MOA is a ‘win-win’ for us because we will be able to provide a steady supply of medicines to the government, which in turn, may be used to serve more patients in the hospital and other health care services that the city offers.”

Pamintuan thanked the willingness of the suppliers to help the local government in providing the people of Angeles with medicines in a timely fashion.

“This is a huge innovation for us here in Angeles as we will be allowed to continuously provide the medicines needed by the Angeleños,” he said.

Additionally, the MOA states that the suppliers will provide the needed medicines based on the lowest price gathered on canvass and not on the usual canvass or public bidding.

Currently, Angeleños may acquire medicines from RLMMC, the City Hall, the mayor’s residence and during the regular Barangay Day events.