The House of Representatives approved on second reading the bill granting President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. the power to suspend and adjust the scheduled premium increase to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
House Bill (HB) No. 6772, amending Republic Act (RA) 11223 known as the Universal Health Care Act, was passed during the plenary session on Tuesday through viva voce.
"While PhilHealth only aims to fulfill and remain faithful to its mandate, imposing a higher premium to Filipinos in these current conditions where most of them are grappling with the pandemic will definitely enforce a new round of financial burden to its members," the explanatory note read.
The measure also noted that the Filipinos have barely recovered from the losses and difficulties due to COVID-19.
"Most livelihood, businesses, and other sources of income have not reopened yet, and many Filipinos remain unemployed. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself supported the calls to defer the increase in PhilHealth premium contributions," it added.
The PhilHealth premium contribution was supposed to implement an increase of 4.50% this year.
In the released premium contribution table for direct contributors, those earning P10,000 and below must pay P450; those earning P10,000.01 -P89,999.99 must pay P450 - P4,050; and those earning P90,000 and above must pay P4,050.
HB No. 6772 was authored by House Speaker and Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez, Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, Committee on Accounts Chairperson and Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, and Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre.
