PhilHealth: “PhilHealth Ward” not exclusive to members
THE renaming of so-called charity wards in government hospitals to ‘PhilHealth Wards’ is basically just a change in label, according to PhilHealth Regional Vice President Daniel De Leon.
In a press conference last Friday, De Leon made the clarification to assuage worries voiced by the poor population who have no PhilHealth coverage.
“No substantive change is implemented for the renaming. The implication is that the poor population will now be part of PhilHealth and if they get sick, PhilHealth is going to pay for their confinement expenses,” De Leon said.
“It’s basically just a change in nomenclature. Kasi kung charity ward ang tawag, the poor population are treated as charity patients while in fact, they are no longer charity patients because government is paying their contributions for PhilHealth,” he added.
De Leon did acknowledge that not all indigents are members of PhilHealth but noted that the government is “in the process of integrating them into the system”.
And while the integration process is ongoing, government-owned hospitals are mandated to accept indigent patients who are non-members of PhilHealth in the so-called PhilHealth ward.
De Leon said the move is in line with President Benigno Aquino’s goal to provide universal health care for all Filipinos by implementing the highest possible good for the highest possible number.
“Ang pagkalinga sa maysakit is a government concern. Uunahin natin ang obligasyon sa ating bayan,” he said. (PIA-Pangasinan/VHS)
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