Magdato, Esther Praise L.

DENT 1B

1. Articulate the Universal Health Law of 2019.

On February 20, 2019, the former president Duterte ratified the Universal Health Care Act or
R.A. 11223. This historic legislation increases access to healthcare services by registering all
Filipinos in PhilHealth's National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), which aims to guarantee
that all Filipino citizens have unrestricted access to a full range of healthcare services. This
guarantees all Filipinos equal access to high-quality, reasonably-priced health care products and
services as well as protection from financial risk. In addition, joining PhilHealth is now easier
than it was before the Universal Health Law took effect. The membership of PhilHealth has been
reduced from a number of categories to just two: direct contributors and indirect contributors.
Direct contributors are individuals who are financially capable, have a job that requires them to
be committed by an employment contract, or are self-employed. They also include licensed
practitioners, self-employed migrant workers, their eligible families, and permanent membership.
Indirect contributors, on the other hand, are individuals who aren’t included under direct
contributors as well as their eligible family members, whose rates must be paid for by the federal
government, including those who are supported as a consequence of specific laws. To achieve
the goal of the law, which seeks to provide better healthcare access and quality in the country,
the bill suggests constructing hospitals in outlying areas. Additionally, it mandates that all
students who have completed health-related coursework at state college and universities or
through government-sponsored scholarship programs complete three years of public service.
Further changes in existing that will be executed across time involve: establishing PhilHealth as
the country's buyer of health-care products and services for consumers, such as medications;
enhancing medical centers, particularly in underprivileged areas; addressing the country's
shortage of medical professionals; strategically involving the private industry; and developing
and enlarging innovative features in the Department of Health (DOH) to enhance the
health-care delivery system.

2. Describe the state of Health Maintenance Organizations in the Philippines.

We are always being told that everyone should put their health first and make investments in it
since it is, after all, wealth. However, most individuals have a tendency to ignore it and push it to
the bottom of their major worry owing to anxiety and other circumstances. Through Health
Maintenance Organizations, however, employed Filipino people now have access to health-care
maintenance. This is part of the advantage they obtain from their employers. Due to corporate
subsidies, people with HMOs can access a variety of medical services for a lesser amount of
money. Currently, there are 16 HMOs operating in the Philippines, among them MEDICard,
Intellicare, MaxiCare, Philcare, Insularcare, Valucare, and Fortunecare. When it comes to
medical aid, these HMOs often pay for both outpatient and hospital-based operations for clients
as well as any urgent care that workers might want, provided that these services are provided
by accredited and licensed physicians, facilities, or institutions. The HMO industry is considering
ways to expand assistance further than the privileged, who are either protected through jobs or
able to pay a fee on their own, as the administration reaffirms its dedication to extending
medical services to all thru the universal healthcare program, protection of which is presently at
about 92%, as per official statistics. In order to assist the working poor, the administration has
said it is accepting public-private collaborations. Additionally, HMOs are expanding coverage in
the field of health and fitness programs. HMOs regularly update their clients on nutrition and
exercise, and they occasionally send medical services to businesses to perform yearly
physicals.