Abolition of PhilHealth's single confinement rule lauded

SEN. Bong Go lauded on Monday PhilHealth's announcement to abolish its Single Period of Confinement (SPC) policy.

The senator described the move as a «significant victory» for Filipinos, particularly those most affected by the policy's limitations.

First implemented in 2013, the policy prevented patients from receiving multiple claims for hospital admissions related to the same illness within 90 days.

Senator Christopher Lawrence Bong Go. (PHOTO: MIKE ALQUINTO)

Go said the policy disproportionately affected the poor and vulnerable sectors of society.

He highlighted the absurdity of the rule, which he discovered and tackled during numerous Senate hearings, and questioned why no action had been taken earlier to address it.

«The Board of Directors of PhilHealth has approved removing the Single Period of Confinement policy. Next week, we expect PhilHealth to release the document,» Go said.

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«As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography in the Senate, it is a great victory to delete this anti-poor, anti-people policy,'' he added.

Go noted that while the abolition of the SPC policy was a significant step forward, the work to improve the country's health care system was far from over.

»Our quest for much improved public health care and expanded health services does not end with the scrapping of the said policy," he said. «We shall continue to push for more reforms to provide every Filipino a healthier life.»