Walang iwanan: A rejoinder to Secretary Salceda on Universal Health Care

A firestorm of protest has met Executive Secretary Ralph Recto’s declaration to expand Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) benefits for direct contributors, but exclude the indirect contributors who comprise the majority.

- FILOMENO S. STA. ANA III

The Philippine Daily Inquirer recognized the massive public interest impact, with the story becoming the banner headline of its July 3 issue. The headline: “Groups reject PhilHealth scheme pushed by Recto.”

These groups, consisting of 75 healthcare organizations that lead or influence their respective fields, have spoken with one voice: “The Universal Health Care Act was never intended to divide Filipinos into different tiers of health protection. Its guiding principles recognize the contributions of all workers while also giving priority to those who cannot afford to pay.” The 75 organizations call on Executive Secretary Recto to “stop diverting PhilHealth funds, and it must stop underfunding PhilHealth. If government fulfills its obligations under the Universal Health Care Act, PhilHealth can strengthen benefits for every Filipino, rather than just a few.”

Earlier (June 30), Action for Economic Reforms (AER) issued a press statement. AER welcomes increasing or expanding PhilHealth benefits, subject to health technology assessment, and emphasizes that such benefits must be extended to all PhilHealth members. The public statement has received good feedback, though we have noticed trolls uniformly smattering the Recto line. Which is: “ang indigent ay libre. Walang bayad... So panalo ka. Kaya alam ko, ’yung mga nagbayad, dapat taasan natin ang PhilHealth benefits.” In gist, Recto and trolls say: The indigents are freeloaders. Ergo, those who pay are entitled to more PhilHealth benefits.

But in truth, all contributors — direct and indirect — pay.

Here’s the Cambridge Dictionary’s definition of contributor: “a person who contributes something, especially money, in order to provide or achieve something together with other people.”