DSWD7 Supports Indigent’s PhilHealth Coverage

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 supported the health insurance coverage of indigent families enrolled in the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) or PhilHealth.

Information Officer Kerwin Macopia of DSWD 7 said the budget for subsidy on this purpose has already been approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Macopia also quoted DSWD7 Regional Director Mercedita Jabagat as saying “This is indeed good news to our people especially to our target beneficiaries since they will have their own health insurance sponsored by the government.”

Macopia added the subsidy covers the health insurance premiums of all identified poor households by the Listahanan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) for this year.

He also stressed the Bureau of Treasury will be releasing the subsidy to PhilHealth based on actual billings; the number of identified families per region, municipality, and barangay; and the names of each enrolled beneficiary identified by the Listahanan.

Macopia said Jabagat also stated that aside from the national government, there are also some Local Government Units (LGUs) in the region who uses the Listahanan database in identifying beneficiaries of PhilHealth insurance.

“In order to achieve inclusive growth we need to ensure that the basic social services like health, food and education are properly address not only by the government but as well as other social protection stakeholders,” he said.

“Hence, we continue to advocate to LGUs and NGOs to use the available data to formulate appropriate social protection programs and services specifically to address the welfare of the poor,” Jabagat said.

Macopia also said listahanan is an information management system that identifies who and where the poor households are in the country.

It aims for the government and civil society to establish objective targeting system on the social protection programs and services to the poor, Macopia added.

Image Credit: www.fo7.dswd.gov.ph