v; >
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHIILIPPINES )
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
r
S. No.
60
CEVED
R
DATE
BILLS
Introduced by Senator Ralph G. Recto
AN ACT
EXPEDITING UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE UNDER THE NATIONAL HEALTH 
INSURANCE 
PROGRAM 
AND 
IMPROVING 
THE 
PHILIPPINE 
HEALTH 
INSURANCE 
CORPORATION’S 
(PHILHEALTH) 
BENEFIT 
PACKAGES, 
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Explanatory Note
Universal healthcare also known as universal health coverage means that the entire 
population can use promotive, preventive, curative and palliative health services that they need, 
of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that the use of these services does not 
expose them to financial hardship1.
In order to attain universal healthcare in the country, the National Health Insurance 
Program (NHIP) was instituted. It is meant to provide every Filipino an insurance coverage 
under the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth). Data obtained from 
Philhealth indicate that 93.5 million Filipinos or about 92% of the entire population have already 
been covered under the program as of December 2015. About half of them are indigents who are 
subsidized by the government, while the rest are comprised of paying individuals from the 
formal and infonnal economies and lifetime members.
Last year’s financial statements of Philhealth show that the Corporation collected P96.7 
billion from premium contributions of all its members, including the government subsidy for 
indigents. Accordingly, it paid out about P97 billion for benefit payments covering about 8.4 
million claims. If we are to treat each claim as one patient, the numbers would imply that on the 
average, each person who got sick and availed of Philhealth benefits in 2015 practically got 
P11,500 each, a small amount to cover medical expenses in a year.
This bill aims at expediting the attainment of universal healthcare by providing coverage 
to all Filipinos to eventually close the gap from the current 92% to 100%. The default position 
should be that if you are a citizen of this country, you will be qualified to avail of its benefits, 
regardless if you have a Philhealth identification card or not.
This bill also proposes to improve the benefit packages being offered by Philhealth by 
increasing the amount of benefits to lessen the out-of-pocket expenses on the part of the 
members. Improving the benefit packages would also entail the inclusion of preventive and 
promotive health serviees to lessen the chances of confinement and to encourage a healthy 
lifestyle among the population.
The funding requirements to support the aforesaid objectives shall be sourced from the 
following; a) total sin tax collection, except those eannarks mandated by law; b) the 50% share 
of the national government in the aggregate gross earnings of the Philippine Amusement and 
Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR); and c) The Charity Fund of the Philippine Charity and 
Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). These fund sources are expected to infuse more than a hundred
World Health Organization, accessed at littp://www.wlio.int/healtli_financing/universal_coverage_definition/en/ on June 28,2016.