Romualdez welcomes PhilHealth鈥檚 expanded emergency, critical care coverage
(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON)
MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday welcomed the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) expansion of benefits, including new outpatient emergency care coverage and increased case rate packages for critical illnesses.
Romualdez described the move as a crucial step toward making universal healthcare more accessible and affordable for Filipinos.
“Ito ang klase ng repormang diretsong nararamdaman ng tao. Mas maraming Pilipino na ngayon ang makakapagpagamot agad, hindi na kailangang maghintay ng matagal o matakot sa gastos bago magpunta sa ospital,” Romualdez said.
(This is the kind of reform that directly impact the people. More Filipinos can now receive medical treatment immediately, without needing to wait long or fear the expenses before going to the hospital.)
Under the newly introduced Facility-Based Emergency benefit within the Outpatient Emergency Care Benefit package, PhilHealth members can now receive emergency medical attention at accredited level 1 to 3 hospitals nationwide without requiring admission.
Article continues after this advertisementThis change addresses a long-standing issue where low-income patients were often forced to delay treatment due to limited coverage, Romualdez noted.
Article continues after this advertisementThe House Speaker also highlighted that PhilHealth raised case rate packages for nearly 9,000 medical conditions, providing increased financial assistance for treatments such as pneumonia, cancer therapies, heart surgeries, and maternal health services.
“Ang sakit, hindi dapat nagiging pabigat sa bulsa ng bawat Pilipino,” Romualdez pointed out.
“Ngayon, mas malaki na ang sagot ng PhilHealth, at mas maraming buhay na ang maliligtas.”
(Illness should not be a financial burden to Filipinos. Now, PhilHealth covers more, and more lives will be saved.)
Nonetheless, Romualdez still called for further reforms to enhance healthcare delivery, including faster claims processing, improved hospital accreditation, and greater public awareness of PhilHealth’s services.
“Malaking hakbang ito, pero hindi pa tapos ang laban. Ang totoong pagsubok ay siguraduhin na walang Pilipinong napagkakaitan ng serbisyong medikal,” he said.
(This is a big step, but the fight is not over. The real challenge is to ensure that no Filipino is denied medical services.)
“Ang serbisyong pangkalusugan ay hindi dapat isang pribilehiyo—dapat ito’y karapatan ng bawat Pilipino,” he emphasized.
(Healthcare services should not be a privilege—it should be a right for every Filipino.)
