Press Statement:Maximization of PhilHealth Coverage

As the Vice Chairperson on Committee on Health and Sanitation, Hon. Eduardo D. Leyson IV is sharing this very important Press Statement Re: the maximization of PhilHealth Coverage in behalf of Hon. Marius Orlando A. Oco and Dr. Jose Orlando Acharon.

PRESS STATEMENT --- PLEASE READ AND SHARE
GSCH New Rates do not affect poor patients

Maximization of Philhealth Coverage

One of the main thrusts of SPPO No. 12-0853, Series of 2012, is to maximize the amount of Philhealth reimbursements arising from the services that the General Santos City Hospital (GSCH) renders to its patients. For instance, under the old scheme, the hospital daily room per day could go as high as P400.00. But since our previous room rate was only P180.00 per day, what the hospital could, then, reimburse from Philhealth was only THAT AMOUNT. But now, with the new rate, the GSCH can already reimburse P400.00 per day from Philhealth for the use of a hospital room, without exacting any amount from the patients. Entrenched in this scheme is an aggressive campaign to put all residents, especially the poor and the underprivileged, under the coverage of Philhealth in line with the Aquino Health Agenda (ATTA), calling for 100% Philhealth coverage.

Poor patients are not financially prejudiced

Poor patients, whether or not they are Philhealth members, are not financially affected by the increase in the rates of hospital services in the GSCH. They will pay almost nothing, or minimally, after they are classified as Class C1, Class C2, Class C3 or Class D patients. Under existing ordinances, Class C1 patients pay only 75% of the total hospital bills; Class C2, 50%; Class C3, 25%; and Class D, .0%. Moreover, the City Mayor’s Office, under City Mayor Darlene Magnolia R. Antonino-Custodio, the Congressional Office, under Congressman Pedro A. Acharon Jr., and the local offices of Senator Antonio Trillanes, IV, and other partylist groups are also extending assistance to poor patients in the GSCH to cover balances in their respective hospital bills. In addition, the city government has available indigent funds to cover hospital expenses of poor patients, after the extension of assistance as stated.

Conversion of hospital into an economic enterprise is a pro-poor formula

The conversion of the GSCH into an economic enterprise is a social justice formula intended to enable affluent social sections of the locality to subsidize those patients who are situated in the bottom of the social strata. We improve both the physical and human infrastructures of the GSCH to entice members of upper social classes to avail of our health facilities, and the revenues that the hospital may derive from these affluent paying patients can be rechanneled and used for the welfare and interest of poor patients. Thus, the city government merely pays its inherent role as insurer of social equity being a state instrument.

Raising funds for health and social services, without cost to poor patients

Our study shows that, though this measure, the city government can free up, at the very least, P90, 000,000.00 annually. Hence, the city government can make use of this gigantic amount to advance its various health, social, and economic programs that redound to the welfare and interest of the disadvantaged segment of the locality, without cost to the poor patients of the GSCH.

WE WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD HELP US IN DESSIMINATING THIS INFORMATION TO OUR PEOPLE.

DR. MARIUS ORLANDO A. OCO
City Kagawad /Chaiperson, Committee on Health
Sangguniang Panlunsod

DR JOSE ORLANDO R. ACHARON
Executive Assistant on Health
City Mayor’s Office

 

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Sterilized Milk Feeding Program

Last April 13, 2012 the Committee on Food & Agriculture chaired by Hon. Eduardo D. Leyson IV headed the consultative hearing and discussed the proposed MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT TO BE ENTERED INTO BY AND BETWEEN THE NATIONAL DAIRY AUTHORITY FEDERATION OF DAVAO FARMERS COOPERATIVE STERILIZED MILK FEEDING PROGRAM IN THE CITY.

During the consultative hearing, Ms. Nanette Cabido of the City Health Office, manifested that the milk feeding program is given to identified malnourished and underweight children whose age ranges between 2 to 6 years old from the different barangays in the city where malnutrition is high. She added that the program will last for 120 days wherein the mothers of the respective malnourished children will be given information by the barangay health workers and barangay nutrition scholars.

On the other hand, the dispersing of dairy cattle to the farmers is done by the National Dairy Authority (NDA) according to Ms. Raylin Sanchez, the milk feeding program coordinator. Ms. Sanchez also added that they also do artificial insemination of dairy semen of the cows. And any group, cooperative and even individual can avail of the said program by writing a formal request to NDA.

2012 Milk Feeding Program Beneficiaries for Underweight and Severely Underweight Children

Barangay                     No. of Beneficiaries

1. Baluan                             50
2. Fatima                           100
3. Calumpang                    170
4. San Jose                         30
5. Labangal                       120
6. Bawing                           50
7. Batomelong                    30
8. Apopong                        50
9. West                              50
10. Tambler                         50
11. Tinagacan                      50
12. San Isidro                      50
13. Mabuhay                       50
14. Lagao                            50
15. Upper Labay                 30
16. Buayan                          40
17. Olympog                       30

TOTAL                     1000 BENEFICIARIES

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Rice Loan Program

The National Food Authority (NFA) has offered the Local Government Unit of General Santos a Rice Loan Program for relief operations and in preparation of disaster. Last March 19, 2012 the Committee on Food & Agriculture chaired by Hon. Eduardo D. Leyson IV headed the committee hearing held at the Learning Resource Center, SP Building, this City.

The committee discussed the proposed MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT (MOA) TO BE ENTERED INTO BY AND BETWEEN THE NATIONAL FOOD AUTHORITY (NFA) AND THE CITY GOVERNMENT OF GENERAL SANTOS CITY IN REGARD TO THE PURCHASE OF RICE ON CREDIT FOR RELIEF OPERATIONS AND FOR STOCKPILING IN PREPARATION OF EVENTUALITIES/EMERGENCIES.

During the hearing, Mr. Dionisio B. Hectin, Jr. of the NFA said that with this MOA the rate per kilo of rice is P27.00 but the city could have an option which is through direct purchase with a lower price of P25.00. The committee also learned that there are 157,000 sacks of rice at the warehouse that may last until October 2012.

Rice purchased on credit offered to LGU of GenSan are only for the following purposes:

1. for relief operations whenever a state of calamity is declared in the locality
2. for stockpiling in preparation of eventualities/emergencies that may occur at any given time.

The government requested NFA through this MOA to allow them to purchase rice on credit in order to restore, rehabilitate, reconstruct the damage caused by the disaster to the affected families and infrastructures.

With no more further questions during the said hearing, the chairperson, Hon. Eduardo D. Leyson IV approved the proposed MOA on committee level and manifested that the MOA be scheduled for urgency on the next regular session.

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