FAILURE TO ENROLL INDIGENTS IN PHILHEALTH 

THE Sangguniang Panlungsod maintains that the city government is culpable and in violation of the Universal Health Law for failing to enroll identified indigent residents in Philippine Health insurance in years 2020 and 2021.

This was determined during the SP special session when the report of the Philippine  Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) that no such enrollment was made.

The discussion initially prompted Councilor Dennis Canto to ask City Budget Officer Jessa Royupa if health insurance coverage for indigent citizens and members of the barangay family is considered “essential expenses”?

Royupa replied that strictly speaking, essential operating expenses refer only to water, gasoline and electricity which need to be prioritized under a reenacted budget but added that under Legal Opinion No. 20, series of 2014 of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the local chief executive has the liberty to determine which expenses are essential.

Canto recalled that in past sessions of the SP, medicines were considered essential expenses especially under the pandemic, and therefore, the city government had every reason to enroll its indigents as P6 million was set aside in the old annual budget even while the 2022 annual budget is still being discussed in the SP.

The majority in the city council insist on the enrollment of the 1,600 indigents in the city by the City Social Welfare and Development Office using the 2021 budget.

Royupa said the city government must first secure the authorization of the Commission on Audit because of the restrictions imposed by the DILG.

Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo cited the Internal Rules and Regulations of the Universal Health Law which states that health insurance is a statutory obligation, meaning the city government with the assistance of DOH and PhilHealth, should register their respective constituents to a primary care provider within their territorial jurisdictions in coordination with PhilHealth.

Councilor Luis Samson Jr. consequently maintained that since the insurance coverage is a statutory obligation, the city government is liable for failing to enroll the indigents whether it is operating on re-enacted budget or not.

For her part, Councilor Celia Lim vowed to talk to her son Mayor Brian Lim to include as among his priorities the enrollment of indigent citizens using the past budget allotted for the purpose. (Leonardo Micua)

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