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Republic of the Philippines me

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

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SEVENTEENTH (177) CONGRESS

First Regular Session

4372

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

Under Republic Act No. 6948 as amended in Republic Act No. 7696,
and through the Department of Health and the Department of National
Defense’ s joint Veteran Hospitalization Program, hospitalization and medical
care benefits to Filipino veterans and their dependents is extended
nationwide in hospitals that are accredited by the Veterans Memorial
Medical Center (VMMC) and the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO). It
provides partial hospital subsidy of Php1,200.00 per day of hospital
confinement net of other applicable discounts up to a maximum of 45 days
per patient per year to be reimbursed by PVAO-VMMC to the accredited
hospitals.

According to PVAO statistics, as of August 2014, there are 36,281
living World War II and Post-War veterans and an estimated 140,000 legal
dependents who are entitled to avail of hospitalization and health care
benefits from the government. Statistics also show that WW II veterans die at
a rate of 300 per month.

The Department of National Defense has made an appeal for the
inclusion of the few but honorable, living World War II veterans and their
surviving dependents as beneficiaries of the Department of Health's
Universal Healthcare Program, calling for the expedited enrolment of these
veterans to PhilHealth insurance.


Doing so would increase and improve the access to quality healthcare
of veterans and their dependents, especially the majority who already reside
in provinces. Enrollment into PhilHealth will provide veterans maximum
medical care as they will be able to avail of not just hospitalization benefits
but also receive partial if not full reimbursement for relevant procedures
such as cataract surgery, hearing aid, hernia mesh, orthopedic implants,
braces and dentures as well as cardiac procedures such as angiogram,
angioplasty, pace-maker placement, heart-bypass, endo-aneurysmectomy
and other chemotherapeutic agents

The automatic enrollment into PhilHealth insurance would guarantee
our veterans and their dependents a more comprehensive and inclusive
medical care system, The approval of this bill is an urgent need and
responsible way of honoring and thanking our veterans for their
contributions in our proud history and for their bravery selfless service to
our country,

Che G
ERIC L. OLIVAREZ


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH (177) CONGRESS.

First Regular Session

4372

HOUSE BILL No, _*" “
——$—————
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

“AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE MANDATORY PHILHEALTH COVERAGE
FOR MILITARY VETERANS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS, AMENDING FOR
THE PURPOSE REPUBLICT ACT NO. 6948, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC
ACT NO. 7696, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “AN ACT STANDARDIZING AND
UPGRADING THE BENEFITS FOR MILITARY VETERANS AND THEIR
DEPENDENTS"

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

Section 1. PART F. Hospitalization, Medical Care and Treatment (Sections
15-19) of Republic Act No, 6948, as amended, is hereby further amended to
read as follows:

"SEC. 15. Eligibility. — The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office shall
provide hospitalization, medical care and treatment in the Veterans
Memorial Medical Center, in the veterans wards of selected government
hospitals or in such other medical facility that it may designate to veterans
of the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War, World War II,
Korean Campaign and Vietnam Campaign; military retirees, disabled
veterans receiving disability pensions under this Act; their eligible
dependents and such other persons as may be authorized pursuant to the
rules and regulations promulgated by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office
as approved by the Secretary of National Defense: Provided, That eligible
dependents shall be limited to the spouse, unmarried minor children or



children who are mentally or physically incompetent regardless of age, and
dependent parents or foster parents regardless of the veteran’s civil status.”

"SEC, 16. Veterans Memorial Medical Center. — The Veterans Memorial
Medical Center shall be the primary medical facility for the hospitalization
and medical care of eligible veterans and dependents and, for this purpose,
shall be upgraded and expanded to provide two hundred (200) additional
beds for a total capacity of seven hundred (700) beds to accommodate all
eligible beneficiaries as defined in the preceding section."

"SEC. 17. Veterans Wards. - The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office
shall enter into agreement with all government hospitals including regional,
provincial, district and municipal hospitals for the establishment of veterans
wards, with an initial aggregate capacity of at least two thousand (2,000)
beds to provide hospitalization and medical care to veterans and
dependents: Provided, That there will be at least one (1) government hospital
with a veterans ward in each province and each city which is not a provincial
capital: Provided, further, That the hospital where the veteran was confined
shall immediately inform the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO)
accordingly of his confinement, for the latter to immediately remit to said
hospital the necessary funds in payment of the confined veteran’s expenses
for hospitalization and medicines which shall not be less than Two hundred
pesos (P200.00): Provided, finally, That funds remitted by PVAO to any
government hospital for this purpose shall be retained by the hospital and
used for its operations in addition to its regularly appropriated funds.”

"SEC. 18. Hospitalization in Other Government Hospitals. — In cases
where it is more convenient and expedient for the veterans and their
dependents, they may be admitted free of charge into any hospital or health
institution of the national, provincial or city government, other than those
specifically designated for veterans medical service, pursuant to
arrangements between the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office and the
Secretary of Health."

SEC. _19. Comprehensive Medical Treatment: Mandatory PhilHealth
Coverage. —_'To broaden the scope of facilities they can avail from and
medical treatments or services they can avail of, all military veterans and
their eligible dependents shall be covered by the national health insurance
program of PhilHealth. Funds necessary to ensure the enrollment of all
veterans not currently covered by the annual general appropriations of the
Department of National Defense shall be sourced from the National Health
Insurance Fund of PhilHealth from proceeds of Republic Act No. 10351, in
accordance with the pertinent laws and regulations.



SEC. 19.1 Membership Reaistration-— Through individual enrollment,
war veterans and their qualified dependents may avail of the benefits and
discounts provided for by PhilHealth. The automatic coverage will be
applicable as soon as they present their Veteran's ID and/or VMMC Hospital
ID.

Section 2. Separability Clause.- If, for any reason, any part, section, or
provision of this Act is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining
provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

Section 3. Repealing Clause. ~ All existing laws or parts thereof inconsistent
with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly

Section 4. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect thirty (30) days after
the completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least three (3)
newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,