PCSO to remit P2.5 billion for Universal Health Care law

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is set to remit around P2.5 billion to the government coffers to help finance the Universal Health Care Law (UHC), an official said Monday.

PCSO General Manager Mel Robles said the allocated funds will be transmitted to the Bureau of Treasury (BTr) on Monday, September 12, to be used by the implementer of the measure — the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhiHealth).

“Today, the PCSO is going to remit its share to the national government — the national treasury in fact — which will give PhilHealth more funds to support UHC Law. This is just the first among the remittances that we will do because, under the law, 40% of our charity fund will have to go to the UHC,” Robles told reporters during a press briefing in Malacañang.

Under the UHC law or Republic Act 11223, half of the national government’s share from Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR)’s income as well as 40% of PCSO's charity fund shall be used to fund the universal health care program.

The UHC law, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in February 2019, automatically enrolls all Filipino citizens, including overseas Filipino workers, in the state social health insurance PhilHealth, which will have expanded coverage to include free consultation fees, laboratory tests and other diagnostic services.

“We are very happy to be the recipient of these funds from the PCSO. We have lined up several benefits for the use of these funds. These funds will be transmitted to the Treasury and will be remitted to PhilHealth through the national subsidy for benefit improvement," PhilHealth spokesperson Dr. Shirley Domingo said during the media briefing.

"It's a different subsidy from the usual GAA (General Appropriations Act) subsidy to PhilHealth for the premiums of the indirect contributors. This fund is specifically for benefit improvement and will not in any way be used for any admin expense,” she said.

“We're very happy that we will be receiving these funds because it will translate to the better financial protection of our members,” she said.

According to Domingo, among the benefits to be improved under the additional budget are the review of the existing case rates, covering additional dialysis sessions for indigent kidney patients, and boosting of the catastrophic benefits and orthopedic benefits, among others.

None of the funds will be used for PhilHealth’s administrative costs and COVID-19-related expenses, she added.

“Funds from PCSO will be a special fund in the  coffers of PhilHealth. It will be used specifically for benefit improvement. In fact, we'll be coming out with a medium-term expenditure plan for these funds from PAGCOR and PCSO. With the coordination and approval also of the two agencies,” Domingo said. —KG, GMA News