Manila: Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito has called on Congress to expedite the passage of Senate Bill No. 1, which seeks a PHP74.4 billion supplemental budget for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). He emphasized that the success of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law hinges on the availability of adequate and timely funding.

According to Philippines News Agency, Ejercito, who is the principal author and sponsor of the UHC Law, stressed the importance of this funding boost to achieve zero balance billing in government hospitals. This reform aims to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for indigent patients, senior citizens, and other vulnerable groups.

Ejercito made an appeal to his colleagues in Congress and President Marcos to swiftly approve the supplemental budget for PhilHealth. He underscored the significance of providing genuine support for the UHC, noting that the law is already in place, but what is missing is aggressive implementation and necessary funding.

While expressing appreciation for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s commitment to UHC during his State of the Nation Address (SONA), Ejercito voiced his concerns over the slow rollout of benefits mandated by the law. He pointed out that services like free consultations, cancer screenings, and zero billing are already part of the UHC framework.

Ejercito remarked that had there been a more serious approach to implementing UHC from the start, there would be no need to individually announce these benefits. He stressed that all Filipinos should have already been experiencing these advantages, with no issues regarding medicines, expenses, or access to medical consultations.

The senator concluded by asserting that the proposed budget is essential to ensure that patients admitted under basic accommodation in Department of Health-run hospitals will no longer have to pay anything out of pocket.