SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go affirmed the announcement of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) that its Board of Directors has approved the scrapping of the single period of confinement policy.

“Naiulat po na aprubado na ng Board of Directors ng PhilHealth ang pagbabasura sa kanilang single period of confinement policy,” Senator Go said in his opening statement, emphasizing that the said policy has burdened sick patients for more than a decade.

The single period of confinement policy dictates that admissions and readmissions due to the same illness or procedure within a specific period of 90 days are only compensated once by PhilHealth.

“Sulit ang pangungulit,” Senator Go stressed, thanking the PhilHealth Board of Directors for the positive outcome.

The single period of confinement policy has been repeatedly referred to as “No Repeat Sakit” and has been described by Senator Go as “unfair, illogical, and anti-poor,” adding that certain illnesses are recurring, unpredictable, and cannot be limited by arbitrary timelines.

“Sa wakas ay tuluyang ibinasura na. Kaya nagpapasalamat tayo sa Board of Directors ng PhilHealth,” he added.

PhilHealth COO Atty. Eli Santos, for his part, assured that PhilHealth remains committed to fulfilling its promises particularly in increasing case rates and expanding benefits packages.

While it is evident that Senator Go is elated with the removal of the single period of confinement policy, he made it clear that he would not rest in calling out PhilHealth until the state health insurer’s commitments have all been honored.

In this connection, Go reminded his fellow public servants in PhilHealth to honor their word and to immediately act on their commitments to get results, since the lives and health of people are at stake.

“These commitments are not just mere numbers. They represent very real improvements in the healthcare experience of millions of Filipinos,” Go said.

These commitments include improving healthcare benefits and services, especially for poor Filipinos who have no one to turn to except the government.

“Patuloy nating ipaglalaban ang sapat na serbisyong pangkalusugan para sa lahat ng mga Pilipino. Kasama na rito ang mga pangako ng PhilHealth na taasan ang case rates, palawakin ang benefit packages, babaan ang premium contribution, magbigay ng libreng gamot, at iba pa,” Go said.

To fully realize the spirit of Universal Health Care, Go said it is imperative that PhilHealth maximize their available resources and focus on increasing case rates to lessen out-of-pocket expenses for those needing medical attention, expanding benefit packages in pursuit of providing Universal Health Care in accordance with the law, lowering premium contributions for members, and repealing outdated policies that do not serve the best interests of the public.