The government will expand preventive healthcare services, increase Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) benefit packages, and strengthen the country’s health infrastructure to further improve the implementation of Universal Health Care (UHC), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. emphasized on Monday.

In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos said the administration is prioritizing preventive healthcare through PhilHealth’s Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), with the Department of Health.

The government aims to widen the coverage of YAKAP by accrediting more clinics to provide Filipinos with greater access to preventive health services, he added.

The government would also expand the related GAMOT (Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment) Program, which allows PhilHealth members to obtain essential medicines from more than 2,000 accredited providers, with an annual benefit limit of PHP20,000 per member.

The program covers 75 essential medicines, including antibiotics and drugs for asthma, hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, cough, fever and other common illnesses.

Beginning next year, Marcos said the government would gradually include various blood tests and medicines under the program to enable early detection and monitoring of kidney, liver, thyroid and Hepatitis B conditions.

He said PhilHealth will further expand its coverage for diseases, medical conditions and healthcare services, while raising benefit limits to keep pace with escalating healthcare costs.

PhilHealth has expanded support for patients with cancer, heart disease, human immunodeficiency virus, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

“Pati na rin ang tuberculosis, na kumikitil ng halos isandaang buhay bawat araw dito sa atin (As well as tuberculosis, which claims nearly a hundred lives each day here in our country),” he said.

He announced plans to double the PhilHealth benefit package for consultation and therapy services for children with developmental disabilities.

The number of therapy sessions covered by PhilHealth will increase from 90 to 150, while beneficiaries will also receive additional financial assistance through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Project Aruga.

He noted that PhilHealth-beneficiary families increased from over five million in 2022 to more than 7.5 million families last year.

Since the last SONA, nearly three million Filipinos have paid nothing for treatments under the DOH hospital ward zero-balance billing.

Over eight million patients have been helped under the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program, which now features “e-MAIFIP” in DOH hospitals and the eGovPH app with only two requirements.

It removed the need for political guarantee letters.

The government will continue improving hospital systems and healthcare facilities, including the establishment of more Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services (BUCAS) and specialty centers.

“At magsisimula na rin tayong iguhit ang plano para makapagtayo ng isang Virology and Vaccine Institute dito sa bansa (And we will also begin drawing up plans to establish a Virology and Vaccine Institute in the country),” Marcos said.

The government is increasing the number of healthcare professionals through expanded medical scholarship programs, requiring scholars to serve in public hospitals after graduation.

The President commended the country’s Doctors to the Barrios for their commitment to public service and for serving as role models for future Filipino physicians. (PNA)