MANILA - The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading a measure that aims to give the president the power to suspend the increase in premiums of “direct contributors” of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
Lawmakers approved House Bill 6722 voting 276-0-0.
In a press release, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, the principal author of the bill, this will ease the burden on millions of PhilHealth contributors who are still recovering from the impact of the pandemic.
Daily wage earners and many employees, who comprise the majority of PhillHealth members, would save at least P50 a month or P600 a year from their health insurance premium payment if the adjustment were suspended.
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Under the Universal Health Care Act, contributions are supposed to increase from 4 percent last year to 4.5 percent this year, or from the minimum monthly premium of P400 to P450, and it will further go up to 5 percent starting next year.
The bill will be sent to the Senate for action.