Yamsuan wants mental health package included in PhilHealth benefits

MANILA, Philippines — A mental health package should be included in the benefits provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Yamsuan said he has filed House Bill No. 11086 or proposed Comprehensive Mental Health Benefit Act, which seeks to ensure that Filipinos have access to affordable in-patient and outpatient mental health services.

According to Yamsuan, this is important especially due to rising cases of mental health disorders in the country, which would require the government to be ready to address growing needs for mental health measures.

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“While we laud the efforts of Philhealth, our goal under the bill is to have a unified mental health benefits package that is accessible to all, rather than piecemeal and limited programs that remain vulnerable to changes in administrative priorities and funding limitations,” Yamsuan said.

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The lawmaker acknowledged that the country has made strides regarding spreading awareness regarding mental health disorders, but the next step would be to equip PhilHealth with the capacity to help Filipinos coping with mental conditions.

“Despite the progress we have made in understanding and accepting the fact that mental health conditions require the same attention as physical health disorders through the enactment of the Mental Health Act in 2018, many Filipinos remain reluctant to openly discuss this important concern,” Yamsuan said.

“Mental health conditions are often dismissed or glossed over not only because of the stigma and the discrimination attached to it, but also because many think that access to mental health services is expensive. This should not be the case,” he added.

While the COVID-19 pandemic set off a public health emergency, medical experts have warned that the next problem may be related to mental health, since the lockdowns and stay-at-home restrictions may have placed a huge load on the people’s well being.

In 2022, the Department of Health said that 3.6 million Filipinos suffer from mental health issues in 2020—numbers believed to be lower than the actual data of mental health patients since many Filipinos refrain from addressing these issues.

Worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 450 million people all over the world are suffering from mental illnesses.

Yamsuan meanwhile said that the WHO says that 11.3 percent to 11.6 percent of Filipinos are affected with mental health issues, and it is rising annually at a rate of 2 percent—or an increase of seven million to 12.5 million Filipinos between 1990 and 2019.

Currently, the lawmaker said funding for mental health is “relegated to the background”—therefore necessitating a law that would institutionalize a mental health benefits package.

Under the bill, PhilHealth will be required to develop an affordable and accessible comprehensive benefits package for mental health patients. This would be done by the state-run insurer, along with DOH and other stakeholders such as professional societies, patient organizations and health facilities.

“However, funding for mental health is often relegated to the background, which makes the PhilHealth Circular vulnerable to change and funding constraints. House Bill 11086 or our proposed Comprehensive Mental Health Benefit Act aims to ensure that we have a clearly defined and well-funded effort to safeguard the mental health of all Filipinos, especially our youth,” he said.

“(The package) shall ensure that all Filipinos, regardless of income level, can access high-quality, continuous mental health care that meets international standards of comprehensive mental health support,” he added.