by Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/PNA
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Antique on Friday lauded the enactment of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, which made them automatically covered under the state health insurance.
Paolo Castillo, head of the Antique Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO), said that they had long been waiting for the UHC Law to be signed by President Duterte so that PWDs like him could be covered by Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
“We are glad that finally the PWDs would have their insurance coverage,” he said in an interview.
He said there are 8,592 registered PWDs in their office; mostly visually-impaired and those with orthopedic problems.
“About 80 percent of these 8,592 registered PWDs are dependent on their families only,” he said.
He said that given their physical disability and with no means of livelihood, they cannot afford to pay the premium contributions to PhilHealth.
The PWDs, particularly those who could not afford to pay their premium, are being considered as indirect contributors, whose premium will be subsidized by the national government.
Chief Social Insurance Officer Junie C. Sabusap said during a media conference here last Feb. 28 that they are still waiting for the Implementing Rules and Regulations so that the new law could take effect.
Sabusap also said that the list of PWDs, who will be covered by PhilHealth insurance, will be identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), whose secretary is an ex-officio member of the PhilHealth Board of Directors. tique
