Leyte provides health insurance coverage to indigent families

By Provincial Media Relations Center (PMRC Leyte)
November 16, 2008

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  In response to calls in realizing the significance of enrolling less fortunate constituent under the government health insurance program, the provincial government of Leyte has started the ball rolling by subsidizing the health insurance of some of its indigent families to provide them with decent health care services.

Already, the number of family beneficiaries who received the PhilHealth cards from the province totals to 3,028; 302 of these beneficiaries come from the first district, 1,017 from the second district, 255 from the third district, 477 from the fourth district and 977 from the fifth district.

These cards distributed by the province can be availed by the recipient both as in-patient and out-patient benefit.  The cards also entitle the recipient-beneficiaries to hospitalization benefits at PhilHealth-accredited hospitals.

Among these benefits are subsidies for room and board fees, professional fees, drugs and medicines, and x-ray and laboratory tests. Furthermore, they can enjoy free consultation and check-up while the effectivity period of the cards are valid for one year starting from the date of issuance.

The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office in the province has been tasked to determine the indigent families who qualify for the said benefit.

However, the figure on current beneficiaries has yet to stop, as the PSWDO is continuously identifying indigent families all over the province and determining who would qualify for the health care assistance as the provincial government is determined to realize it's pursuit of enrolling indigent families with PhilHealth to avail of its benefits

Subsidizing PhilHealth coverage is one of the many services under the ICOT Health for Leyte Program initiated by Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla, where the provincial government works to subsidize health insurance coverage to indigent families of the province for them to have access to health care covering in-patient and outpatient services.