UHC full implementation seen in 3 years

MANILA, Philippines — The Universal Health Care (UHC) Act of 2019 will be fully implemented in the next three years as the law stipulates, according to an official of the Department of Health (DOH).

At a press briefing yesterday, DOH Undersecretary and UHC Core Team head Mario Villaverde noted that the framework of the UHC was designed to be realized “progressively” within six years.

“Now we are in the third year, and we hope that in the next three years, we can implement all of the provisions of the law,” Villaverde said.

He underscored that the UHC law has many components, so it cannot be implemented at once.

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) spokesperson Shirley Domingo, however, maintained that some provisions of the UHC law have already been implemented.

Domingo cited the “automatic membership of all Filipinos into (PhilHealth) programs.”

“So everybody is now a member of PhilHealth, unlike before when you have to register,” she said.

She added that there is also now “immediate eligibility,” where a member can avail himself of services for which “PhilHealth will pay for reimbursement.”