Lobregat earmarks P1.2M for 10T new Philhealth enrolees
Mayor Celso Lobregat has allocated some P1.2 million in the city’s supplemental budget to partially subsidize the health insurance coverage of two organized groups with a total of 10,000 members.
The number of new enrolees is in addition to Lobregat’s expanded PHILHEALTH insurance program which is targeted to reach a total 14,000 enrollees by the end of this year.
Lobregat today, September 30, will formally distribute the health insurance IDs to the 10,000 members of the Micro Entrepreneur Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MEMPCO) and the People’s Microfinance Cooperative in coordination with PHILHEALTH officials at the City Coliseum.
Last Monday, the mayor distributed almost 4,000 new Philhealth IDs to indigent residents coming from the city’s 98 barangays. Last Sept. 25, he also distributed 1,952 beneficiaries, of whom 1, 500 came from the urban poor sector; 253 were persons with disabilities; 35 were deportees from Malaysia; 42 were barangay nutrition scholars; 89 are day care workers (renewal); 10 were retired barangay health workers (renewal) and 23 child care workers.
Venus Giron, PHILHEALTH Chief Social Insurance Officer for Membership said the P1.2 million will partially subsidize the insurance coverage of the 10,000 cooperative members based on an agreement entered into by Mayor Lobregat and the two organized groups.
The 14,000 targeted enrolees for 2009 are fully subsidized by the city.
The health insurance benefits will ensure the ID holders and members of their families, discounts in hospitalization expenses that include medicines, doctor’s fee, laboratory examinations and other incidentals.
Because of sound fiscal management, the city government under Lobregat, is able to expand the health insurance enrolees and ensure expanded health services to a bigger number of beneficiaries.
In terms of appropriation, the city’s budget for PhilHealth insurance in 2007 was only P3 million, in 2008 it soared to P3.9 million and this year it further increased to P8.4 million.
“For 2010, the 14,000 beneficiaries will further increase to 18,000 with a total appropriation of P12.2 million for PhilHealth insurance alone,” Mayor Lobregat has emphasized.
During the first three years of his term, Lobregat concentrated on improving the city’s financial condition, thus, the city’s capability to undertake massive infrastructure projects and accelerate programs such as health services. (Sheila Covarrubias)