A legislator on Thursday committed to prioritizing improvements in the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law in the upcoming 20th Congress.

Speaking during his inspection and press briefing at the Region 1 Medical Center on Thursday, Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito acknowledged the setbacks in implementing the UHC Law, which was enacted in 2019 but was hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the law, on the fifth year of implementation, half-way to the 10-year program, will be assessed.

Ejercito, the principal sponsor of the UHC Law, said a thorough review will be conducted to identify the program’s weaknesses, flaws, and areas for improvement.

“We will assess, titignan ang weaknesses, titignan flaws, titignan pagkakamali, kung ano pa pwedeng improvement (we will look into its weaknesses, flaws, errors, and if there are still things we could improve),” he added.

Among his concerns to the implementation of the law is the role of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

“Maraming kinakailangang gawing reforms at isa na dito ang maipataas ang participation nila sa bawat billing ng ospital. Kailangan maramdaman ng mga mamamayan na ang gobyerno nandyan tuwing sila ay magkakasakit (There are many reforms that should be implemented and one of which is the increase in their participation in every hospital billing. The people should feel the government’s presence whenever they are sick),” he said.

Ejercito admitted there are still major hurdles to overcome, but expressed hope for notable improvements in PhilHealth’s services within the next two to three years.

While PhilHealth has made progress in offering better coverage —such as packages for kidney transplants, open-heart surgeries, and severe pneumonia— Ejercito said the goal remains to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for Filipino families.

Ejercito said a Senate oversight hearing on the UHC Law will be held this August, aimed at further evaluating its implementation and gathering feedback from stakeholders.

He also visited the Region 1 Medical Center to inspect its facilities and pledged to support infrastructure upgrades for the hospital.

The senator proposed amendments to the UHC Law through Senate Bill 2620 that includes reforms to PhilHealth, such as adjustments to premium rates and stricter management of its funds.

One key provision prevents the transfer of PhilHealth funds to other government and is intended to address past issues, such as the P89.9-billion transfer of unused subsidies to the National Treasury.

The bill also proposes the expansion of PhilHealth’s coverage to include dental services and mandates regular reviews of its benefit packages. (PNA)