Solon calls to penalize HMOs that discriminate senior citizens

A lawmaker on Sunday called on the Insurance Commission (IC) to penalize private health-maintenance organizations (HMOs) that discriminate against the country’s more than six million senior citizens.

Pasig City Representative Roman Romulo, who is also running for the Senate, noted that HMOs refuse to renew the coverage of planholders when they reach 60.

“This constitutes strong age discrimination which is totally unfair and simply unacceptable,” Romulo said.

Romulo said Section 11, Article 13 of the 1987 Constitution mandates the State to make essential healthcare services available to all, especially the elderly.

Romulo filed House Bill 6348, the proposed Anti-Healthcare Age Discrimination Act, which imposes administrative fines of up to P300,000 on HMOs that refuse to sign up individuals who are over 60 years old.

Currently, there are 23 HMOs operating in the country with over four million planholders. HMO regulation has been transferred last month from the Department of Health (DOH) to the Insurance Commission.

“With or without our bill, the IC should compel HMOs to accept senior citizens seeking coverage, or face financial punishment and other administrative sanctions,” Romulo said.

He said access to HMO plans and services would augment the healthcare benefits that senior citizens now enjoy under the law, including the 20-percent discount on hospital charges and the cost of medicines, and automatic coverage by the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp.