Dagupan, pilot area for UHC law implementation
LINGAYEN–The city of Dagupan, and La Union, have been chosen among the pilot areas for the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law or Republic Act No. 1123 signed into law by President Duterte in March this year and whose Implementing Rules and Regulations were signed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Oct. 11, 2019.
This as disclosed by Loida Tanciado, development and management officer of the Department of Health in Pangasinan, who said Dagupan and La Union were selected among the 33 integration suits for the implementation of the UHC law throughout the country.
Tanciado told the Talakayan sa Kapitoilyo on Oct. 29, that as a pilot area, Dagupan is being urged to put up a Health Care Provider Network–the Dagupan City Health Office which has a Diagnostic Center and Lying-in Clinic.
It is at the CHO where patients seeking medical help must first go and will determine if there is a need for the patients to be endorsed or navigated to a higher level hospital.
Dr. Anna Teresa de Guzman, provincial health officer, added that Dr. Valeriano Lopez, DOH regional director, already asked Pangasinan to prepare because it will be tapped next to implement the UHC law.
Fourth District Board Member Jeremy Agerico Rosario, chairman of the committee on health of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Pangasinan need not worry about not being selected since the no-billing policy is already being implemented in all hospitals operated by the provincial government on order of Gov. Amado Espino III.
According to Dr. Majesty Parayno, Medical Special II of PhilHealth, her office will be the main implementor of the UHC law and await specific guidelines
Joseph Manuel, public information officer of PhilHealth Region1, said the law mandates government hospitals to make 90 percent of their wards available for No Billing Policy patients, while 10 percent for private hospitals. The specialty hospital, he said, must also allocate 70 percent of their wards to NBP patients (Leonardo Micua)
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