After Senior Citizens, 

Move for mandatory Philhealth 

membership for PWDs pushed

TAGBILARAN CITY, July 23 (PIA)--A key official of the Bohol Federation of Disabled Persons Inc. (BFDPI) calls on for support to the house bill that seeks mandatory Philhealth membership and thus medical coverage to persons with disabilities (PWD) and children with special needs (CSN), in line with the week's advocacy to grant marginalized sectors insured rehabilitation, self -development and reliance. 

Speaking at the weekly Kapihan sa PIA on the same day the country's sublime paralytic Apolinario Mabini was born and upon whose birth week the country commemorates National Disability Prevention, BFDPI President Mateo Quilas argued that a mandatory coverage "will go a long way to help these less privileged persons," meaning persons with disabilities and children with special needs. 

Quilas, who founded the BFDPI and has received various awards for his advocacy including a most recent Governor's Award for social service handed to him by Gov. Edgar Chatto July 22, sees that a mandatory Philhealth membership would be an alleviation for families who are nurturing PWDs and CSN. 

In Bohol, only a very few percentage of PWDs are earning and has the capacity to pay for contributions, so that when they need medical services, the family would suffer all the more for cash payments. 

This too as Bohol PWD head who is sight impaired, said they have attained around 70% in their goal to register all PWDs and CSN as well as categorize them as to their potential work skills so that trainings can be pushed to capacitate these people and improve on their self reliance. 

The house of representatives now hold pending two bills which both seek to help PWDs get mandatory government health care membership, one version even going to the length of Philhealth not exacting the first year of contributions after signing up as Philhealth members. 

House Bill 5959 seeks mandatory Philhealth membership to PWDs and CSN to further help self employed PWDs in their pursuit to become productive citizens, and to assist parents of CSN get treatments and special services to their kids needing attention. 

An almost similar proposal is also in House Bill 5012, which seeks to give Philhealth benefits exclusively for indigent, abandoned and orphaned Filipino PWDs. 

Both house bills pending at the House Committee on Health came at the heels of the President's signing of Republic Act 10645 which provides for automatic Philhealth benefits to Filipino senior citizens. (rac/PIA7/Bohol)