Universal health care bill certified as urgent

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent a measure that will give universal access to health care, Malacañang said on Tuesday, July 10.

Duterte issued the certification during a Cabinet meeting at Malacañan Palace that was adjourned early Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said.

"I am very pleased to announce that our pet bill when we were in Congress, Universal Health Care, which we sponsored and defended in the Lower House was certified urgent by the President," Roque, who authored the bill when he was a Kabayan partylist representative, said in a press conference in Cavite.

"Under this proposed law, we seek to provide for the right to health by providing primary care to all Filipinos. Ito po 'yung libreng paggamot at libreng gamot sa lahat ng Pilipinas," he added.

(Under this proposed law, we seek to provide for the right to health by providing primary care to all Filipinos. This will grant free check-up and free medicines in the entire Philippines.)

The House of Representatives in September 2017 passed on third and final reading House Bill 5748 providing for universal health care for the Filipino people.

A counterpart measure is pending in the Senate. Under HB 5748 or the Universal Health Coverage bill, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is reconsituted into the Philippine Health Security Corporation as it serves as the national purchaser of health services.

The House version also seeks to create the Health Technology Assessment Council, an advisory body that would supervise priority entitlements for universal health coverage.