Sen. Imee Marcos. Screen grab / Senate PRIB file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Imee Marcos said Monday the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) should also cover the expenses of patients staying in temporary tents at hospitals while waiting to be admitted to a room, saying the lack of coverage for such expenses is “unacceptable.”
Marcos said PhilHealth should review its regulations, saying there are issues with the state insurance agency’s policies.
“Obvious bang kabalastugan yun? Hindi katanggap-tanggap. Kinakailangan talaga covered yun. Kaya nga nasa tent kasi nagkulang tayo tapos pagkakaitan pa yung coverage? Pambihirang buhay to, sobra naman yun,” Marcos told reporters when asked about the issue.
(This is obviously non-sense, don’t you think? This should be covered. They are waiting at the tent because we lack the space, then you will deprive the beneficiaries of their privilege? Totally absurd, that is too much.)
The senator said PhilHealth has to “find a way” to cover such expenses to help the public.
“Ngayon pa lang ay i-review na nila at baguhin yung mga so-called regulation na yan at cover na ang mga nasa tent kasi naghihirap nga ng doble-doble yung mga pasyenteng yan, tapos hindi pa ico-cover,” Marcos said.
(They should review and change the regulation right away and include in the coverage those patients, because they suffer doubly hard while waiting at the tent, then you will not include it in the coverage?)
“Sobra na ‘yan. Insult to injury na yan [That’s too much. It’s an insult to injury],” she added.
In an earlier hearing at the House of Representatives, PhilHealth Acting Senior Vice President Neri Santiago said the tents are not included in the agency’s package, adding there are no “standards” to cover for that so far.
This came after Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite cited a case in which a patient had to pay P1,000 per hour for temporary tent accommodation, leading Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to say that such practices are unacceptable.