Senate bill on free annual medical checkups filed

Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara Jr. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)

All Filipinos should have the means to get annual medical exams to detect early symptoms of potentially serious ailments, the chair of the Senate finance committee said on Friday.

In filing Senate Bill No. 2297, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara proposed that free yearly health checkups be part of the universal health-care benefits provided by Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

The bill proposes free diagnostic services for Filipinos such as tests for blood sugar and cholesterol level at PhilHealth-accredited health-care institutions. “Early detection of potentially deadly ailments such as heart diseases or diabetes can save lives,” Angara said. —DJ Yap