The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod has approved a resolution requesting the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to review, amend, and liberalize its benefit eligibility policies for long-time contributors who pass away or suffer critical illness within 24 hours of hospital confinement.
The resolution was principally authored by Acting Vice Mayor Caesar Distrito and co-authored by Councilor Celia Flor.
The measure comes in response to growing public concern over reports of PhilHealth members who, despite faithfully contributing to the national health insurance program for years, allegedly failed to qualify for certain benefits because their hospital confinement lasted less than 24 hours before their death or critical medical event, Distrito said Saturday, June 21.
“Many Filipinos have faithfully paid their PhilHealth contributions for decades with the expectation that they and their families will receive assistance during their most difficult moments,” Distrito said.
“It is only fair that benefit policies recognize not just the duration of confinement, but also the totality of a member’s contributions and circumstances”, he added.
The approved resolution specifically urges PhilHealth to explore creating a Special Protection Benefit Package for members with consistent, long-term contributions.
This package would cover cases involving:
- Emergency hospitalizations
- Catastrophic illnesses
- Critical medical conditions
- Deaths occurring shortly after hospital admission
Flor echoed the call for compassion, emphasizing that technicalities should not stand in the way of healthcare support.
“This is about fairness and compassion,” Flor said.
“Long-time contributors should not be deprived of meaningful benefits merely because a medical emergency or death occurred within a short period after hospital admission. We hope PhilHealth will consider reforms that better reflect the sacrifices and contributions of its members”, she said.
By expanding protections for loyal contributors, the council notes that PhilHealth can strengthen public confidence and reinforce its fundamental purpose.*
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