Baguio City—The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation-Cordillera Administrative Region (PhilHealth-CAR) announced on Tuesday that it has successfully enrolled 1,622,607 members by July, reaching 87 percent of its target for 2024.
According to Philippines News Agency, regional officials are optimistic about meeting the full year’s goal of 1,862,659 members to ensure comprehensive health coverage across the region. Dr. Dominga Gadgad, PhilHealth-CAR Regional Vice President, expressed during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas press briefing that the initiative aims to leave no Filipino behind in accessing health benefits. Membership distribution includes 203,728 in Abra, 94,671 in Apayao, 442,401 in Benguet, 439,779 in Baguio City, 144,872 in Ifugao, 158,758 in Kalinga, and 138,398 in Mountain Province.
Janet Palaez, chief of PhilHealth-Baguio Local Health Insurance Office, detailed their efforts to enroll more members by reaching out to villages and negotiating with local government units and agencies to cover job order and contract service employees who are currently not dependents of any member. “We are negotiating with the DOH (Department of Health)-CAR, the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) and the city government and we hope to agree on terms. Either they subsidize or they become collection agents,” she stated.
The agency has collected PHP 1.196 million in payments from its members as of the end of July and has disbursed PHP 301 billion in claims during the same period. The most frequent claims included treatments for hemodialysis, moderate-risk pneumonia, and cesarean sections. Additionally, Gadgad highlighted that healthy members could take advantage of the wellness package under the Universal Health Care law, which covers basic laboratory services and more to promote ongoing health and wellness.