ASSOCIATION of Differently Abled Person-Davao (Adap-Davao) urged Philhealth to strengthen its campaign on Republic Act (RA) 11228, also known as "An Act Providing for the Mandatory PhilHealth Coverage for All Persons with Disability."
“Akoang pangamoyog sa atoang ahensya sa gobyerno labin na ang local government unit (LGU) na ipaigting, i-improve ang atoang kampanya ani kay para ang person with disability makahibalo nga aduna diay mandatory PhilHealth (I am requesting the agency as well as the LGUs to improve its campaign on letting PWDs know they have mandatory Philhealth coverage),” Armando Amancio, Adap President, said in an interview with the Davao City Disaster Radio on July 22.
The RA 11228 has amended Republic Act No. 7277, otherwise known as the “Magna Carta For Persons With Disability”.
Section 20-A of RA 11228, “PhilHealth shall develop exclusive packages for PWDs that will address their specific health and development needs.”
“As far as I am concerned, parang until now (until now it seems like), PhilHealth is not ready yet for the implementation of the said law kay naa pa man gud sila karun sa orientation about sa Universal Health Care. Ang RA 11228 kay wala pa gyud nila nahimoon og orientation niani, labi na tong mga health packages for the person with disabilities (because they are or most likely busy with providing orientation for the Universal Health Care while no orientation has been made on RA 11228, especially the health packages for PWDs),” Amancio said.
Section 20 of the RA 11228 states that “all persons with disability (PWDs) shall be automatically covered under the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) of the Philippines Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth),”.
The national government will cover the premium contributions for all PWDs, provided that the premium contributions for PWD members who work in the formal sector will be split equally between their employers and the national government. It was also indicated that the funds required for the efficient implementation of this Act shall come from the National Health Insurance Fund of PhilHealth, which was designated from the proceeds of Republic Act No. 10351, also known as "An Act Restructuring the Excise Tax on Alcohol and Tobacco Products by Amending Sections 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 8, 131 and 288 of the Republic Act No. 8424, Otherwise Known as the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended by Republic Act No. 9334.
Amancio said that there might be PWDs who have availed of the service since they were able to get Member Data Records (MDR), however, he said that PhilHealth is still waiting for the guidelines from their central office for its implementation.
Amancio said they are calling for its implementation for the benefit of PWDs.
“Kabalo ta nga adunay mga health issue ang mga PWDs like katong mga nasa wheelchair nga prone kaayo sa mga kidney problem, mga bata nga adunay kapansanan (We all know that PWDs have several health issues. For example, those in wheelchairs are very prone to kidney problems),” Amancio said. KSD