PhilHealth Raises Member’s Contributrion by 5% this 2024
PhilHealth must come up with bigger packages and benefits for the member amid the contribution increase during an economically-challenged Philippines.
Millions of Filipinos are members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or more popularly called PhilHealth. Undeniably, a PhilHealth membership is a much more affordable health safety net compared to the insurance policies offered by the private insurance firms.
However, truth be told that many Filipinos cannot still afford to regularly post premiums to PhilHealth. Due to the inflation rate nowadays, a lot of households’ monthly budget no longer fits the expenses of the entire family in a month. It usually results to piles of unpaid debts and compromised medical treatments.
Recently, PhilHealth implemented another contribution increase. The rate hit its maximum of 5%. The hike was contested by several people including Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa who believes that the health department has enough budget.
On the part of PhilHealth, its president and CEO, Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., asserts that the department is in the pursuit of increasing the benefits for the members. They also want to employ at least 3,000 people raising their workforce from 7,000 to 10,000.
Amid the many questions on the PhilHealth contribution increase and the econmic challenge in the Philippines now, Malacañang posed no objection against the contribution hike. Undeniably, the increase is an added burden most especially to low-income earners who can hardly maintain an active account.
However, since the Palace had no objection against the hike, it is my humble opinion that it is now the duty of PhilHealth to make the contribution hike justifiable. There would be no better consolation on the part of the members who toil to maintain an active account than really boosting the benefits and package offers.
The PhilHealth contribution hike is felt by the pockets of countless Filipinos in the country. May the members also feel the hike through boosted health package and benefit offers extended to them.
Disclaimer: The content of the article posted above is an opinion of the writer. Also, the citations provided are based on the information deemed as facts by the different legit sources that contribute to the basis of the making of the whole viewpoint. The writer does not, in any form, intend to create inaccurate understanding of the topic or influence the readers instead, express one’s viewpoint in a formal manner.
