Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Director-General Jose A. Torres, Jr., and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) President and Chief Executive Officer (PCEO) Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr. sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for joint publicity on universal healthcare programs. (Photo: PIA CPSD)
QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — More Filipinos can now expect an easier access to primary care services without the burden of out-of-pocket expenses with the wider publication of Universal Health Care (UHC) programs.
This initiative anchors the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) on Monday, May 13, to keep Filipinos across the country well-informed about the array of benefit packages that they can avail of to meet their healthcare needs.
In particular, the strategic collaboration between the PIA and PhilHealth will focus on simplifying member registration and educating the masses with regard to PhilHealth’s “Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (Konsulta)” Program which aims to promote preventive health through the availment of free outpatient care services for early detection.
These include health risk assessment, laboratory and diagnostic tests, and medicines for select conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and hypertension.
“PhilHealth’s Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama, or Konsulta benefit package, seeks to address persisting health conditions and emerging diseases that could possibly lead to financial difficulties should they be left unattended. This program aims to prevent worsening conditions that often lead to hospitalization or expensive medical treatments,” said PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer (PCEO) Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr.
“Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and practicing good health habits that help us in preventing or avoiding illnesses are vital to our overall well-being, especially in these times when medical care costs are constantly increasing,” he added, urging the public to give priority to preventive healthcare.
PIA Director-General Jose A. Torres, Jr., for his part, referred to this partnership as a significant step towards bringing essential healthcare services closer to the reach of the masses, especially those who belong to vulnerable communities.
“Ang ating pagpirmang ito ay itinuturing natin na napakahalagang hakbang sa pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng ating mga kabayayan, lalong lalo na ‘yung nangangailangan sa kanayunan, para sa kanilang kalusugan,” said Torres.
(This signing serves as a significant step in response to the healthcare needs of our fellow Filipinos, especially those who reside in geographically-disadvantaged areas.)
Under the MOU, the PIA is expected to help expand the reach of the Konsulta program, initially targeting its personnel and their dependents from the 78 provinces and 16 regions across the country.
Read:
PhilHealth, PIA tie up to promote KonSulTa Program, Universal Health Care
Torres also cited the utilization of PIA’s development communication and education tools to intensify the dissemination of timely and relevant information concerning the registration and service utilization process of the Konsulta program.
Lester Naguna, an employee of PIA National Capital Region, shared his eagerness to register to the Konsulta program after gaining insight into the benefit package it offers.
“After being educated about the new PhilHealth Konsulta program, I feel encouraged to register. Ngayon ko lang naman na may ganito, actually. This is helpful as one of my dependents is my aging mother who needs to be checked up regularly,” said Naguna.
“Natutuwa ako na may ganito pala and I will definitely share this knowledge to others na magb-benefit dito kasi nakita ko nga, ang daming benefits. It’s not only para sa mga may sakit, for prevention din talaga siya,” he added.
(I feel delighted to know about this and I will definitely share this knowledge to others who can benefit from this program. It’s not only for the sick but also for prevention.)
During the MOU signing, PhilHealth PCEO Ledesma also bared the inclusion of ultrasound and mammogram to the primary care services under the Konsulta program starting June 2024. Meanwhile, the current 21 free drugs and medicines will be increased to 53 through the Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment or PhilHealth GAMOT.
As of March 31, 2024, there are approximately 14,947,769 registered Filipinos nationwide to the Konsulta program. On the other hand, there are 2,611 accredited Konsulta providers across the country. Of these, 372 are from the National Capital Region (NCR) and Rizal.
There are three (3) identified ways to register to the Konsulta Program including self-registration through the PhilHealth Member Portal or assisted registration through the local government unit concerned, PhilHealth accredited health clinic or health facility, PhilHealth Local Health Insurance Office (LHIO), and PhilHealth Corporate Action Center (CAC).
Also present during the MOU signing were PhilHealth National Capital Region (NCR) Vice President Bernadette C. Lico, PIA Deputy Director General for Regional Operations Adolfo Ares P. Gutierrez, and PIA Deputy Director General for Strategic Communication and External Affairs Katherine Chloe S. De Castro and External Affairs.
The collaboration between PhilHealth and PIA is built upon a previous MOU signed by PhilHealth NCR and PIA-NCR led by Regional Head Emver P. Cortez on September 4, 2023, which focused on promoting the Konsulta program in Metro Manila and surrounding areas. (JMP/PIA-NCR)
