THREE business groups on Wednesday expressed support for state-owned Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s (PhilHealth) efforts to expand benefits for members.
“We commend PhilHealth for its rapid expansion of benefits in recent
years, making them more commensurate with the increased premium
contributions implemented beginning in 2021," the Management Association of the Philippines, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry said in a joint statement.
Long-term sustainability of the National Health Insurance Fund and PhilHealth’s capacity to further expand benefits and fully realize the promise of the Universal Health Care Act, however, will depend on timely and complete payment of premiums by all contributors.
“As private employers, we remain steadfast in fulfilling our responsibility to remit both our employees’ PhilHealth contributions and our share faithfully and on time," the business groups said.
They voiced support for PhilHealth’s efforts to strengthen premium collection among all direct contributors and called on the government to ensure timely and adequate remittance of premiums for indirect contributors, particularly the poor and vulnerable.
“As the Philippines advances as an upper middle-income country, universal health care must become a reality for every Filipino," the business groups said.
"A strong and sustainably financed PhilHealth is not only essential to realizing the promise of universal health care — it is an investment in the health, productivity, and prosperity of every Filipino, and in the country’s long-term economic future.”