Senator JV Ejercito announced on Wednesday his commitment to review the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, stating that now is a “good time” to evaluate and recalibrate this landmark legislation.
As the principal author and sponsor of the UHC Law, Ejercito indicated that the Senate Oversight Committee on UHC implementation will convene in August or September to assess the progress made since the law’s enactment in 2019. “It’s time we assess where we are. Saan ba tayo nagkulang, saan nagkamali, at paano pa natin mas mapapabuti ang pagpapatupad ng batas (Where did we fall short, where did we go wrong, and how can we improve the law’s implementation)?” he stated in a news release.
Ejercito emphasized the need to alleviate the financial burden of medical bills on Filipino families, noting that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) currently covers only PHP8,000 for a PHP100,000 hospital bill, which he deemed insufficient. “Kung PHP100,000 ang bill, dapat hindi PHP8,000 lang ang sinasagot ng PhilHealth. Target natin, at least 30 to 50 percent ng bill ang covered, para mabawasan ang bigat sa bulsa (If the bill is PHP100,000, PhilHealth shouldn’t be covering just PHP8,000. Our target is for at least 30 to 50 percent to be covered to reduce out-of-pocket costs),” he explained.
During his inspection of the Quezon Medical Center, Ejercito praised the facility’s improvements but highlighted the need for additional equipment and support. “Ang layo na ng improvement. Dati madilim, punong-puno, may mga pasyente sa pasilyo. Pero ngayon maayos na, may CT scan, MRI, at zero balance billing. Iba talaga kapag doktor ang namumuno (The improvements are significant. It used to be dark, overcrowded, and patients stayed in the hallways. Now it’s well-managed, with CT scan, MRI, and zero balance billing. It makes a difference when a doctor is at the helm),” he remarked.
He expressed his intention to coordinate with the Department of Health (DOH) to address remaining gaps, particularly the need for pediatric ICU ventilators, as he sponsors the DOH budget in the Senate.
As one of the authors of the Regional Specialty Centers Law, Ejercito confirmed that Quezon Medical Center is among the facilities identified for upgrades. He noted that the government has increased the specialty center budget from PHP2 million to PHP6 million and urged stakeholders to maximize the funding. “Let’s make sure we get the needed equipment, whether for heart, kidney, or cancer services,” he said.
Ejercito acknowledged that while the UHC Law is ambitious, it is “a law worth fighting for because healthcare should not be a burden.”