Achieving true universal healthcare
FORTY
years ago, delegates from 135 countries, including the Philippines, signed at an international conference the first global declaration affirming “primary health care” as key to upholding every person’s right to a healthy life.
Many consider this “Alma-Ata voted for the bicameral report on Declaration” among the critical public higher excise taxes on alcohol and health milestones of the 20th century, tobacco products, which would be signaling a global commitment to enacted as Republic Act 10351. make quality healthcare universally This law marked a sea change accessible, by bringing it down to the in the country’s efforts at realizing community. “healthcare for all,” providing the
My late father, Senator Edgardo J. billions that allowed the government Angara, helped tremendously in this to expand health insurance coverage effort. Next to education, health was to a little more than 90 percent of one of his main advocacies, having the population. What some may helmed the Senate committee on not know was that the fight for the health as early as his first term in law was so close in the Senate, that 1987. its ratification was approved on a
Among the health-related laws difference of only one vote. he authored, the most critical was Today’s Senate also contributed perhaps the measure providing to this effort. As part of the package for a nationwide health insurance of tax reforms the Senate passed last policy and establishing the Philippine year, the excise tax on cigarettes was Health Insurance Corporation raised to P35 (from June 2018 to ( PhilHealth) in 1995. This law December 2019) and will be raised laid out the groundwork for the to P37.50 starting January 2020. This government’s ongoing efforts at represents a magnitude of change, attaining true universal healthcare considering that less than a decade coverage. ago, the cheapest excise tax smokers
Less than a year before he ended had to pay was only P3 per pack. his last term, my father cast another Still, the fight for true universal crucial vote in favor of universal healthcare continues. Debates healthcare. On December 2012, he now rage led by the Senate health MALAPIT committee chair Sen. JV Ejercito on SBN 1896 or the Universal Health Care for All Filipinos (UHC) Act — a measure which I co-authored and co-sponsored.
One objective of this measure is to make check- ups, x- rays and laboratory tests, including mental health consultations, cancer risk screenings and even certain medicines, free for all Filipinos. By making such services readily accessible, we hope to induce a change in attitudes among our people — who only go to see a doctor when their sicknesses are already very grave or at advanced stages.