THE House of Representatives has adopted a resolution urging the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to include psoriasis in the list of diseases and ailments covered by its health care program.
House Resolution 1818 aims to make psoriasis treatment available and lessen the psoriasis cases in the country.
The resolution, authored by Representative Scott Davies Lanete cited psoriasis as one of the most baffling and persistent skin diseases.
Psoriasis is characterized by skin cells that multiply 10 times faster than normal as underlying cells reach the skin’s surface and die, and their sheer volume causes raised, red plaques covered with white scales.
The range of PhilHealth covered diseases and ailments includes psoriatic arthritis but does not include cases of psoriasis, thus depriving two percent of Filipinos, belonging to the poor and marginalized afflicted with psoriasis of medical health insurance benefits. (Keith A. Calayag/SunStar Philippines)