Herbosa eyes lowering co-payment in working class' health expenses

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said Thursday he wants to reduce the out-of-pocket expenses of the working class seeking healthcare services in government hospitals.

Currently, Herbosa said that only the poor are receiving full free services in government hospitals through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), and quantified free services.

“My biggest challenge now is our working class. You also have PhilHealth benefits but when you go to our government hospitals, may co-pay pa kayo, kailangan bumubunot pa kayo [ng pera] and ‘yun ang problema ko,” the Health chief lamented.

(The working class also has PhilHealth benefits but when they go to government hospitals, they still have to co-pay and release money and that’s my problem.)

“I want to improve na mapababa ko pa ‘yung co-pay ng ating working class Filipino so that makatulong sa kanilang economic improvement kasi nagkaka-utang utang kapag nagkasakit,” he added.

(I want to improve that and lower the co-pay of our working class Filipinos to help in their economic improvement because when they get sick, they get into debt.)

Co-payment is an out-of-pocket payment or cost-sharing mechanism intended to share the cost of healthcare between the insured and the insurer. According to PhilHealth, there is a predetermined amount agreed upon by them and an accredited health facility that is chargeable to patients to cover the share for amenities, choice of physician, or any additional or upgraded services during the course of inpatient care.

Meanwhile, the No Balance Billing (NBB) policy provided that no other fees or expenses shall be charged to or be paid for by indigent patients above and beyond the package rates during their confinement period.

Herbosa said that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. already directed him to lower the cost of healthcare services for the public.

“That’s why I’m expanding, we’re expanding many hospitals—heart centers, specialty centers, sa iba’t ibang parte ng Pilipinas. Utos ni President ‘yan,” he said.

(That's why we're expanding many hospitals—heart centers and specialty centers in different parts of the Philippines. That's the President's order.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News