DBM approves P 25.16B for PhilHealth premiums of 8.3M indigent Pinoys

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of P25.16 billion to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to cover the one-year health insurance premiums of 8.3 million qualified and enrolled Filipino indigents.

The DBM on Thursday said its Secretary Amenah Pangandaman approved the special allotment release order on May 23.

The fund will be sourced from authorized allotments in the 2023 national budget.

“The COVID-19 pandemic made us realize the importance of a stronger healthcare system, so we are working hard to make it more accessible to the people, especially those who need it the most,” Pangandaman said in a statement.

Pangandaman said the fund release is part of the Marcos administration’s effort to provide affordable health care for all Filipinos.

“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. mandated his Cabinet to ensure that Filipinos are provided with affordable health care,” she said.

The state insurer is mandated to administer the National Health Insurance Program, which aims to provide health insurance coverage and ensure affordable, acceptable, available and accessible health-care services for all Filipinos.

In its official website, PhilHealth states that indigent persons are those who have no visible means of income, or whose income is insufficient for family subsistence, as identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), based on specific criteria.

All indigents identified by the DSWD under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction and other acceptable methods will automatically be enrolled and covered under the program.

In April, the DBM also approved the release of a total of P42.9 million to cover the one-year health insurance premiums of more than 8.5 million senior citizens nationwide.

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