More Filipinos will now be able to avail of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) coverage of optometric services and assistive devices like prescription eyeglasses or spectacles.
The Philhealth committed to the joint Senate Health and Demography and Finance Committees chaired by Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go that it will include optometric services in its list of coverage by end of November this year.
The World Report on Vision in 2019 revealed that half of the world population will be myopic or near-sighted by the year 2050.
A 2018 Philippine Eye Disease Study highlighted that vision impairment and blindness have a prevalence rate of 1.98 percent, which represents 1.11 million Filipinos with cataract, about 400,000 with uncorrected error of refraction, almost 300,000 with glaucoma, and around 200,000 with maculopathy/diabetic retinopathy (DR).
“Preventive eye care and the inclusion of optometric services and prescription eyeglasses coverage by Philhealth is important to enable early detection of eye and vision problems in children,” Dr. Charlie L. Ho, Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists (IPAO) Chairman, said during the joint committee meeting.
He added, “Many eye issues and even blindness are preventable with early intervention, but many Filipinos lack access to primary eye care from optometrists.”
Senator Go also encouraged PhilHealth to support vision care services, especially for children to improve learning and academic performance and prevent complications of high myopia like early cataract, retinal detachment and myopia macular degeneration (MMD), a blinding disease.
Atty. Eli Dino D. Santos, Philhealth Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer reiterated their commitment to cover optometric services by November 30, 2024 as it is consistent with the purpose of The Universal Health Care Law.
“We would like to commend and thank Senator Go for championing the cause of the optometrists and the Philhealth leadership led by President and CEO Emmanuel “Mandy” R. Ledesma, Jr. and Atty. Eli Dino Santos for their swift action to address and include the eye care needs of Filipino people,” said Dr. Ho adding that IPAO expressed gratitude to Agri Partylist Rep. Wilbert T. Lee for his tireless effort to include Philhealth coverage of optometric services, which will benefit millions of Filipinos especially the poor.
The hearing was also attended by Dr. John Nakpil, IPAO President, Dr. Mildred Pre, Chairman of Philippine Society of Public Health and Occupational Optometry (PSPHOO), Hon. Christine Rodriguez and Hon. Fides Masanga of the Board of Optometry.
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