AGRI Party-list Rep. Manoy Wilbert Lee lauded the new benefits of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for kidney transplant patients, as he renewed his call for more free medical services for Filipinos by the state health insurer.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa PhilHealth sa pakikinig sa matagal na nating panawagan na palawakin ang mga benepisyong pangkalusugan para sa ating mga kababayan na karapatan at deserve nilang matanggap, na layunin ng ipinaglalaban nating tunay na Universal Healthcare,” Lee said.

According to Lee, given the resources currently available to the PhilHealth, it should be able to fully cover not just the dialysis and kidney transplant, but other chronic diseases and critical services as well.

“Napapanahon nang taasan o gawin na wala na ring limit ang sinasagot ng PhilHealth sa heart bypass surgery, chemotherapy, leukemia  at iba pang mabibigat na karamdaman, pati na sa mga diagnostic tests and preventive measures, para mapagaan ang pasanin ng mga pasyente at kanilang pamilya,” the solon earlier stressed.

PhilHealth recently launched the new benefits for adult and pediatric patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) who have undergone kidney transplant. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also visited the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) to personally witness the launch of the new benefit scheme.

PhilHealth previously implemented increases in hemodialysis sessions — from 90 to 156 per year, from P2,600 to P6,350 per session, and coverage for kidney transplantation from P600,000 to P2.1 million.

It can be recalled that Lee was the first to expose that PhilHealth had billions of available funds in September 2023. From filing House Bills and Resolutions, conducting consultations, to propounding interpellation questions during budget deliberations, he persistently urged the state health insurer to use these “unused funds” to expand its benefit packages. Lee’s aggressive efforts led to the implementation of PhilHealth’s increased benefits and free medical services.

“With PhilHealth’s existing funds, they can very well afford to implement additional increase in all benefit packages. Dapat lang damihan at bilisan pa ang implementasyon nito dahil araw-araw, marami nating kababayan ang nangangamba sa pagkakasakit, at ang mas masaklap, pinipiling maratay na lang sa bahay dahil sa takot na lalong malubog sa utang at kahirapan kapag nagpagamot,” he said.

“They are afraid that if they get sick, they will shoulder additional financial burden on buying  medicines and paying for medical treatments that will bankrupt their families.”

“Doble pasakit ang pagkakasakit. Yung mismong nagkasakit, hindi na rin nakakapagtrabaho, they can no longer earn. This can be addressed if PhilHealth increases their medical benefits, and the government assures our countrymen that they will be cared for when they get sick. Huwag na nating patagalin ang pagpapatupad ng libreng gamot at pagpapagamot. Gawin na natin ito sa lalong madaling panahon,” Lee stressed.