“It’s all systems go for the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) for the National PhilHealth Registration Day (NPRD) this October 2, 2010 with President Benigno S. Aquino III spearheading the campaign in Baseco, Tondo, Manila”, Health Secretary Enrique Ona today announced.Ona explained that the nationwide registration this Saturday will take place in Philhealth desks put up in DOH regional offices, public schools, municipal halls, community halls, and DOH-retained hospitals nationwide.
“In keeping with P-Noy’s promise to give each and every Filipino access to quality healthcare in three years time, he will be distributing Philhealth cards to the very poor Filipinos previously identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as true indigents and already enrolled
by their respective local government chiefs in PhilHealth,” Ona said.
Meanwhile, Philhealth also disclosed that all Philhealth regional and service offices and government as well as premiere commercial centers nationwide will also hold registration for non-members.
The state-run health insurance program was made a priority item in the new Administration’s health agenda which aims to hit 100 percent of the Philippine population within three years.
Secretary Ona, currently the Chairman of the Board of Philhealth, organized a multi-sectoral task force to set things into motion to realize President Aquino’s directive in the soonest time possible.
Ona himself heads the said task force which is composed of the DOH, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Education (DepEd) as well as the National Anti Poverty Commission and the Leagues
of Provinces, Cities and Municipalities.
The DILG will help the DOH engage local chief executives in the enrolment of indigents in their respective jurisdictions as identified by the DSWD while DepEd shall help set up Philhealth desks in all public schools to encourage students and their parents to register and become Philhealth members.
The activity aims to register the remaining Filipino citizens who are at least 21 years of age and non-members of the program. It is also open to 18 to 20 year olds who may need to register; existing contributors who are still unregistered; those not issued their Philhealth Number Card or Family Health Card yet; and those already registered but who may want to update their membership profile with Philhealth.
The program mainly targets those from the self-employed and informal sector who comprise some 53 percent of the population, a substantial portion of which, can afford to pay for health
insurance as individually paying members (IPMs). Local government units and other non-governmental organizations may choose to sponsor families without the means to pay but were not included in the DSWD,
Targeted citizens are also enjoined to go to any of Philhealth’s 17 regional offices and close to 100 service offices in their respective localities.
Upon registration, they will be advised to activate their membership by paying the required contribution of at least Php 300 for a quarter or Php 1,200 for a year’s payment at any accredited collecting partners nearest them. A duly activated membership and completion of all eligibility requirements shall entitle a member and his/her qualified dependents medical care subsidies when confined in accredited hospitals anywhere in the country.
“I encourage all Filipinos especially those who are not yet members of PhilHealth, let us go out and avail of this opportunity to
be registered with Philhealth on October 2. Let us protect ourselves from the financial effects of health emergencies and medical situations in the family,” Secretary Ona concluded.
For more details on the open registration, the public may log on to www.philhealth.gov.ph or call the Philhealth member relations Department at (02) 637-6456
Source: www.doh.gov.ph
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