The House of Representatives on yesterday approved on third and final reading a bill empowering the President to suspend an increase in the premiums of “direct contributors” of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
A similar bill was filed at the Senate in July last year. Sen. Grace Poe’s Senate Bill No. 335, or “an an act granting the president the power to suspend scheduled contributions in PhilHealth premium contribution rates,” remain pending at the committee level.
House members, voting 273-3 with no abstention, approved House Bill No. 6772 to amend Republic Act No. 11223 which was enacted in 2018.
Under RA 11223, otherwise known as the Universal Health Care Act, contributions will increase to 4.5 percent this year from 4 percent last year, or from the minimum monthly premium of P400 to P450. The rate will further go up to 5 percent starting next year.
“The President of the Philippines may, upon recommendation of the PhilHealth board, suspend and adjust the period of implementation of the scheduled increase of premium rates during national emergencies or calamities, or when public interest so requires,” said the amendment, which would be part of Section 10 of the law.
Speaker Martin Romualdez, the bill’s principal author, said the suspension of the increase would result in some savings for millions of government and private sector workers, professionals, self-employed, and other PhilHealth contributors who are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said daily wage earners and many employees, who comprise the majority of PhilHealth members, would save at least P50 a month or P600 a year from their health insurance premium payment if the adjustment were suspended while those earning more will naturally save more.
The bill cited the objective of the Universal Health Care Act, which is to “ensure that all Filipinos are guaranteed equitable access to quality and affordable health care goods and services, and protected against financial risk.”
Based on PhilHealth’s computation for this year, they said those earning P10,000 and below would pay a premium of P450, those with an income of more than P10,000 up to P89,999.99 would contribute P450 to P4,050, while those making P90,000 or more would chip in P4,050.
