QUEZON CITY, Metro Manila — “Benepisyo muna bago koleksyon.” This was the firm statement of AGRI Party-list Representative Manoy Wilbert Lee as he welcomed the impending passage of amendments to Republic Act No. 11223, also known as the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.
Lee, the principal author of House Bill No. 11357, which recently passed on second reading in the House of Representatives, emphasized the need to shift PhilHealth’s focus from premium collection to enhancing healthcare benefits. He pointed out that the current UHC Law prioritizes collections rather than the expansion of services, necessitating reforms to ensure quality and sufficient healthcare coverage for all Filipinos.
The Bicolano lawmaker has been advocating for an increase in PhilHealth’s budget allocation for administrative costs to allow the agency to hire more personnel and fast-track benefit improvements.
Under the proposed measure, PhilHealth will be authorized to charge a maximum of 7.5% of the total reimbursements or benefit payments from the preceding year for administrative expenses, instead of basing it on total premium collections.
“Sa pamamagitan nito, kung mas mataas ang mga benepisyong babayaran ng PhilHealth, mas malaki rin ang magiging budget nila. Ito ang pang matagalang repormang itinutulak nating maisabatas para hindi na rin maulit ang zero subsidy at siya ring magtutulak sa PhilHealth para mag-refocus,” Lee said.
“Hindi dapat kaltas o binabayarang kontribusyon ang nararamdaman ng mga Pilipino kundi dagdag na mga benepisyo. Sa pagsasabatas ng ipinaglaban nating mga probisyon, wala nang rason para sa DOH at PhilHealth para maging makupad sa pagdaragdag ng mga benepisyo,” he added.
As early as October 2024, the solon from Bicol filed his proposed amendments to the UHC Law which include the timely assessment of case rates and lowering of premium contributions.
Since Lee’s revelation of the hundreds of billions or more than half a trillion of PhilHealth’s “unused” funds in September 2023, massive increases of PhilHealth benefits were implemented since more than a decade of long-overdue benefit enhancement.
Through Lee’s legislative measures and relentless efforts, PhilHealth benefits increased by 30 percent last February 2024 and implemented another 50 percent increase this 2025.
The solon’s consistent calls for better healthcare benefits also paved the way for free dialysis, free eye check-up and prescription glasses for ages 0-15, free dental care, expanded coverage for breast cancer treatment, new benefit package for kidney transplant and heart ailments, and outpatient emergency care services, among others.
“We thank our colleagues in the House of Representatives for their support of our proposed amendments. We hope to maintain this kind of momentum for the amendments of UHC until it is enacted and eventually implemented to help our countrymen. Isang napakahalagang hakbang nito palapit sa layunin ng Universal Health Care,” Lee stated.
“Hindi po natin ito tatantanan hanggang maabot natin ang libreng gamot at pagpapagamot ng bawat Pilipino. Pagtulungan po nating maibsan hanggang tuluyang mabura ang pangamba ng ating mga kababayan sa pagkakasakit sa takot na lalong malubog sa utang at kahirapan.”
The lawmaker called on the government to take greater responsibility in providing essential healthcare services, stating: “Huwag tayong maging bulag at manhid sa napakarami nating mga kababayan na namamatay nang wala man lamang laban sa sakit dahil lamang sa hindi naibibigay ng gobyerno ang serbisyong deserve at nararapat para sa kanila.”
Lee ended his statement with a powerful message, “Ang gamot at pagpapagamot, dapat sagot na ng gobyerno. Ang layunin ko: Gamot Mo, Sagot Ko!” — Marinduquenews.com
