College students required to have PhilHealth coverage

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has required college students to be enrolled in PhilHealth coverage as more colleges and universities start holding face-to-face classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Ivan Mayrina's report on "24 Oras", students who are younger than 21 are dependents of parents who are PhilHealth members.

"‘Pag 21 and above, ‘yan dapat primary members na sila,” Dr. Shirley Domingo, PhilHealth vice president for corporate affairs, said.

(Those aged 21 and older must themselves be primary members.)

A PhilHealth member, who has a job and a salary, must provide a contribution of P300 per month.

However, for most students who are unemployed they can register as indigents, including those who cannot afford to pay, medical insurance will be provided free.

Some parents said they are in favor of registering their children in PhilHealth, noting that the government should pay for the children’s contribution.

“Yung bayad syempre hindi naman natin alam, galing tayo sa pandemic magbabayad pa tayo ng PhilHealth so baka pwede na yung gobyerno sumagot non,” Reymar Mascarinas, father of a college student, said.

(The fee of course, we are still in the pandemic then we will still pay PhilHealth so maybe the government can pay that.)

The National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), on the other hand, said the financial burden would pass to the students instead of the government providing free medical treatment.

“Yung financial burden ay napapasa sa individual sa mga estudyante instead of the government answering the budget to provide free medical treatment if ever may nagpositive. Kukuha ka ng barangay certificate of indigency, may bayad din ‘yun. Kukuha ka ng medical certificate, may bayad din ‘yun. Kukuha ka ng hospital bill na ipepresent mo saka ‘yung form, siyempre, may mga bayad siya,” Jandeil Roperos, national president of the NUSP, said.

(The financial burden is passed to the students instead of the government providing free medical treatment to those who test positive for COVID-19. You will get a barangay certificate of indigency, there is a fee. You get a medical certificate, there is also a fee. You will get a hospital bill that you will present and then the form, of course, it has fees.)

“So instead na magiging accessible ang transition for face-to-face classes, mayroong ganitong additional requirements,” she added.

(Instead of making the transition accessible for face-to-face classes, there are additional requirements.)

The PhilHealth said they are just following the order of the Department of Health (DOH) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED), noting that it will serve as protection for the welfare of the students amid COVID-19 pandemic.

“Hindi po tayo ang nag-decide po nun ‘no. Sumusunod tayo sa DOH and CHED joint memorandum pero sa atin naman, ang masasabi natin is the protection na rin ‘yun ng ating mga estudyante,” Domingo said.

(We did not decide that. We are following the DOH and CHED joint memorandum. But for us, it is also important for the protection of our students.)

Under the Universal Health Care, all Filipinos are members of PhilHealth and can get the available benefits including in their hospitalization benefit, COVID-19 benefit, and even death benefit. —Mel Matthew Doctor/NB, GMA News