Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 0579

Introduced by Honorable Cristal L. Bagatsing

Explanatory Note

‘The Social Justice provisions in the 1987 Constitution, particularly Article XII, Sections 11
and 13 provide that:

“Sec. 11. The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to
health development which shall endeavour 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 endeavour to provide free medical care to paupers”

“Sec 13. The State shall establish a special agency for disabled persons for their
rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance, and their integration into the
mainstream of society.”

Corollary to the above provisions of the Constitution, the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines PWDs as those who have long-term physical, mental,
intellectual or sensory impairments which may hinder their full and effective participation in the
society on an equal basis with others. The same convention called on all UN member-states to ensure
that PWDs enjoy their rights, freedom and dignity

Philhealth president and chief executive officer Alexander Padilla goes further by saying that
the health benefits for PWDs shall be expanded in support of the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Rights of the Child wherein 21 countries, including the
Philippines, are signatories to the APEC Global Friends of Disability

Relative thereto, this bill aims to amend R.A. No. 7277 so that all persons with disability
(PWDs) shall automatically be enrolled and covered under the National Health Insurance Program
(NHIP) of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHILHEALTH). Premium contributions for
all PWDs shall be paid by the National Government: provided, that the premium contributions of
PWD members in the formal economy shall be shared equally by their employers and the National
Government,

In view thereof, immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sough


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIRST REGULAR SESSION
Seventeenth Congress

5579

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: Honorable Cristal L, Bagatsing

AN ACT

PROVIDING FOR THE MANDATORY PHILHEALTH COVERAGE FOR ALL
PERSONS WITH DISABILITY (PWDs), AMENDING FOR THE PURPOS
(PUBLIC ACT NO. 7277, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
“MAGNA CARTA FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITY”, AND FOR OTHE
PURPOSE:

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

ION 1. Title Two, Chapter 8, tion 32 of Republic Act No, 7277, as
is hereby further amended to read as follows;

amended,
“CHAPTER 8, Other Privileges and Incentives.
“SEC. 32. Persons with disability shall be entitled to the following:
5p. 8,0.4
“() MANDATORY PHILHEALTH COVERAGE,

ALL PERSONS WITH DISABILITY, (PWDS) SHALL.
AUTOMATICALLY BE ENROLLED AND COVERED UNDER THE NATIONAL
HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (NHIP) OF THE PHILIPPINE HEALTH
INSURANCE CORPORATION (PHILHEALTH), PREMIUM CONTRIBUTIONS FOR
ALL PWDS SHALL BE PAID BY THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT: PROVIDED,
THAT, THE PREMIUM CONTRIBUTIONS OF PWD MEMBERS IN THE FORMAL
ECONOMY SHALL BE SHARED EQUALLY BY THEIR EMPLOYERS AND THE
INT,

NATIONAL GOVERND

FUNDS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE ENROLLMENT OF ALL PWDS
SHALL BE SOURCED FROM THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE FUND OF
PHILHEALTH, EARMARKED FROM THE PROCEEDS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO, 10351
IN ACCORDANCE WITH PERTINENT LAWS AND REGULATIONS



THE PHIC SHALL DEVELOP EXCLUSIVE PACKAGES FOR PWDS
HAT WILL ADDRESS THEIR SPECIFIC HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT
NEEDS”

SEC. 2. Monitoring and Evaluation, The Department of Health (DOH), in
coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the National Council on Disability Affairs
(NCDA), the local government units (LGUs), other relevant government agencies and non-
government organisations, shall conduct a periodic monitoring and evaluation of the
implementation of this Act, Towards this end, the DOH shall maintain an updated database
on PWDs and their health and development needs. The LGUs, the PhilHealth, the NCDA,
and other relevant government agencies are directed to submit their data on PWDs to the
DOH.

SEC. 3. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) ~ ‘The Philllcalth, in
consultation with the DOH, the DSWD, the DOE, the NCDA, and the LGUs shall promulgate
the implementing rules and regulations (IRR), within three (3) months upon the effectivity

of this Act

SEC. 4, Repeating 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

5. Effeeti — This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days from its

publication in the Off

Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation

Approved,