THE hospitalization and other health care needs of indigents in Bohol will soon be a thing of the past. This after Gov. Erico Aumentado and Dr. Rey Aquino, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to enroll indigents under the universal coverage program. The signing ceremony in Tagbilaran City firmed up the discussions Aumentado initiated in Manila with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Assistant Secretary Elmer Punzalan and Aquino.
Equipped with the authority from the Provincial Board to enter into an agreement with PhilHealth as well as the wherewithal to pay the discounted premiums in the form of P2.1 million from Supplemental Budget No. 2 similarly already approved by the lawmaking body under Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera, the governor tasked Provincial Social Welfare Officer Constancia Tuñacao and Rogelio Alegado, Provincial Database Monitoring System (PDMS) in charge, to identify a minimum of 17,000 families and even up to 20,000 enrollees from the different catchment areas for the opening salvo.
The PDMS is a program developed and maintained by the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) that had fielded enumerators to the household level to interview heads of families as to their met or unmet minimum basic needs (MBN). This means the office can identify at the click of a mouse Bohol 's poorest of the poor. Considering that the towns have similar PhilHealth enrolment projects of indigents identified by their municipal social welfare officers, Aumentado told Tuñacao and Alegado to cross check these lists against theirs to ensure against double enrolment. He said this way, even more families can be enrolled. At the same time, he cautioned them to be firm against requests for political accommodations.
After being issued identification cards, the enrollees can then avail of medicines and services from the province's devolved hospitals with the allowable expenses already borne or to be reimbursed by PhilHealth. Since hospitals can no longer detain patients or cadavers for non-payment of hospital charges, Aumentado asked the chiefs of hospitals, with Provincial Health Officer Reymoses Cabagnot to supervise, that a unit be assigned to focus on following up promissory notes. This way, the fund will revolve and not fizzle out, he said.
For his part, Herrera said the universal coverage is a long overdue project. From experience, he said, he even had to shell out part of his salary for hospital assistance to indigents because some of them knock on his door outside of office hours, hence, they cannot avail of funds allocated by his office for that purpose. Aumentado gave the same observation, saying that on top of the amount set aside by his office and that of Tuñacao, part of his salary and even the pension of his wife Peregrina also go to these indigents. The Philippine Constitution mandates the State to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development, which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and social services available to all citizens at affordable cost, hence the universal coverage for the sponsored or indigent program. Winessing for Aquino at the signing were Vice President for Region 7 William Medici and other officials. On the other hand, Herrera, Board Member Cesar Tomas Lopez who chairs the Committee on Health, Provincial Administrator Tomas Abapo Jr., Cabagnot and Tuñacao signed as witnesses for the governor.
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