PhilHealth declares Zambo a ‘universal coverage’ area

01/10/2009 08:20

Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday extended anew health care insurance this time to the 4,018-strong members of the Micro Entrepreneurs Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MEMPCO) coming from the different barangays of the city. 

This brings to almost 10,000 beneficiaries that the city government has enrolled in PhilHealth in a week’s time, making Zamboanga City the first and only city thus far in Western Mindanao to have achieved the “universal coverage” status pursuant to R.A. 7875 as amended by R.A. 9241.

PhilHealth Regional Vice President Romeo Alberto, who attended yesterday’s distribution program, presented to Mayor Lobregat the list of PhilHealth beneficiaries in Region 9 placing Zamboanga City on top with a total of 179,459 beneficiaries from the private sector and government sponsorships. 

It was learned that the PhilHealth will soon be organizing a special event in which Zamboanga City will be formally declared a “universal coverage” area for the government’s primary health care insurance program. 

Yesterday’s distribution program was highlighted by the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the city government represented by the chief executive, PhilHealth and MEMPCO for the health care insurance grant of P1,200 each. 

However, under the agreement, the city government will subsidize the insurance of the 4,018 beneficiaries at P120 each for the period of one year while the MEMPCO or the members themselves will pay the remaining P480. 

To recall, Lobregat last Monday distributed PhilHealth cards to almost 4,000 indigents including members of Task Force Tuberculosis in line with the city’s accelerated health program designed to ensure that the marginalized and deserving sectors of the city will have something to turn to in cases of health problems and emergencies.  

On Thursday last week, the chief executive also expanded the PhilHealth coverage to 1,952 beneficiaries, of whom 1,500 came from the urban poor sector, 253 persons with disabilities; 35 deportees, 42 barangay nutrition scholars, 89 day care workers (renewal), 10 retired barangay health workers (renewal) and 23 child care workers.  

Lobregat stressed that the improved financial condition of the city has enabled the local government to expand the number of beneficiaries of the health insurance program from 5,000 in 2007 to a total of 14,000 this year or approximately four times more than the number when he assumed his second term in office as mayor. (Vic Larato)