(Ben Evardone Facebook)
TACLOBAN CITY — Former Eastern Samar governor and congressman Ben Evardone has urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to expand benefits for its paying members and increase reimbursements to local government-run hospitals, saying both measures are necessary to strengthen the country’s public healthcare system.
Evardone said the expansion of benefits for PhilHealth’s direct contributors is not merely a policy proposal but an obligation already provided under the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law.
In a statement, Evardone expressed support for Executive Secretary Ralph Recto’s proposal to grant additional benefits to PhilHealth’s more than 37 million paying members.
He also backed Recto’s separate proposal to expand PhilHealth coverage for services provided by hospitals operated by local government units (LGUs), saying higher reimbursements would help ease the growing financial burden on local governments.
Evardone urged PhilHealth and the Department of Health (DOH) to act immediately on both proposals, particularly the provision on additional benefits for direct contributors under Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care Act.
Section 9 of the law states that PhilHealth “shall provide additional program benefits for direct contributors, where applicable.”
The UHC Law took effect in February 2019. However, Evardone said the provision on additional benefits for direct contributors has yet to be fully implemented.
“PhilHealth should now obey the law and do justice to its millions of paying members and their dependents,” Evardone said.
Direct contributors include government workers, private sector employees, self-paying members, and overseas Filipino workers. They account for more than 37 million, or about 63.4 percent, of PhilHealth’s 58.7 million members as of 2025.
Evardone also supported Recto’s call for increased PhilHealth reimbursements to LGU-operated hospitals.
He said local governments are struggling to meet the rising cost of providing healthcare services while also financing infrastructure, education, social welfare, and other essential programs.
“Hospital services are draining so much funds of LGUs. They need as much help as they can get from PhilHealth for the healthcare of their constituents,” he said.
Recto earlier called for expanded benefits for PhilHealth’s paying members and stronger financial support for LGU hospitals as part of efforts to improve public healthcare services and maximize the use of the state insurer’s available funds.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
