Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
‘Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5012

Introduced by: Hon. Angelina “Helen” D.L. Tan, M.D.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Article XIll, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution provides that, "The State shall adopt an
integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to
make essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at
affordable cost. There shall be priority for the needs of the underprivileged, sick, elderly,
disabled, women, and children. The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to
paupers."

Republic Act 7277 clearly enunciates that it is the policy and objective of the State to
provide persons with disability, the opportunity to participate fully into the mainstream of
society. It recognizes that persons with disability are part of Philippine society, and thus.
the State shall give full support to the improvement of their total well-being and their
integration into the mainstream of society.

In light of these constitutional and legal provisions, this measure seeks to provide
mandatory PhilHealth coverage to all indigent, abandoned, and orphaned PWDs.
Although Republic Act 7875 as amended, otherwise known as the National Health
Insurance Act of 2013 includes those “children who are twenty-one (21) years old or
above but suffering from congenital disability, either physical or mental, or any disability
acquired that renders them totally dependent on the member for support, as determined
by the Corporation" as among the legal dependents of a PhilHealth member, these
PWDs may lose the coverage once they have been deprived by death of one or both of
their parents.

An “orphaned PWD" as provided under this measure refers to a PWD who has been
deprived by death of a parent who is a breadwinner of the family or both parents and
has not been adopted. The coverage will also be extended to PWDs who were
abandoned or have no known family willing and capable to take care of them as well as
to indigent PWDs as determined by the National Council on Disability Affairs.

This bill will enable all PWDs to feel more secure because of the guarantee that they will
have the access to medical and health services when need arises.

In view thereof, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Rin
ANGELINA “HELEN” D.L. TAN, M.D.
4" District, Quezon


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNo.__5012

Introduced by: Hon. Angelina “Helen” D.L. Tan, M.D.

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE MANDATORY PHILHEALTH COVERAGE FOR ALL
INDIGENT, ABANDONED AND ORPHANED PERSONS WITH DISABILITY (PWDs)
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled;

SECTION 1. All indigent, abandoned, and orphaned persons with disability (PWDs)
shall be covered by the National Health Insurance Program of Philhealth. The funds
necessary to ensure the enrollment of all orphaned and abandoned PWDs shall be
included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 2. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the term:

a) “Abandoned” refers to those PWDs who have no known family willing and capable to
take care of them.

b) "Indigent" refers to a person who has no visible means of income or whose income is
insufficient for the subsistence of his family, to be determined by the National Council on
Disability Affairs, taking into account the members of his family dependent upon him for
subsistence.

c) “Orphaned” refers to those PWDs who have been deprived by death of a parent who
is a breadwinner of the family or both parents and have not been adopted.

SEC. 3. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations
or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 4. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation

Approved,