A BILL seeking to provide mandatory PhilHealth coverage for all senior citizens was approved on second reading in the House of Representatives.

Iloilo City Representative Jerry Treñas said the bill measure amends the present PhilHealth coverage to indigent senior citizens only.

"This bill aims to remedy this oversight by deleting the qualification of being an indigent in the concerned section of the law and by sourcing the funds to implement this program from the National Health Insurance Fund of PhilHealth," Treñas said.

He said the proposed measure mandates PhilHealth coverage for all senior citizens.

Quezon Province Representative Angelina Tan said the national policies contained in both the Constitution and the Senior Citizens Act clearly provides that all of the elderly shall be given preferential care and protection by the State.

"Being an indigent should not be a requisite for the senior citizens to avail of the mandatory free PhilHealth coverage," Tan said.

She added that the measure will enable all senior citizens to feel more secure during the remaining years of their lives due to the guarantee that they will have the access to medical and health services when need arises. (Sunnex)