Villar bill seeks mental health coverage in PhilHealth

MANILA, Philippines — To address mental health problems among Filipinos, Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar is proposing the inclusion of mental health disorders in the benefit packages of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Citing the Mental Health Strategic Plan 2019-2023 of the Philippine Council for Mental Health, Villar said 3.3 million Filipinos “live with depression.”

She noted that the suicide mortality rate in the country stood at 3.2 per 100,000 population.

House Bill (HB) 10934 seeks to expand the coverage of PhilHealth benefit to include all mental health disorders regardless of age.

Villar said the HB 10934 shall cover emergency services, psychiatric and neurological services as well as mental health gap action program and therapy sessions.

“This bill also aims to address the rising costs of mental health treatment by mandating an appropriate increase in PhilHealth’s benefit package taking into consideration the current costs of medical services,” she added.

The lawmaker also filed HB 10929 pushing for a three-day mental health wellness leave to employees in public and private sectors.

She said the measure seeks to supplement the state objectives by granting workers mental health wellness leave of three days with full pay.

The bill will complement Republic Act 11036 or the Mental Health Act, which affirms the right of all Filipinos to mental health and the fundamental rights of people who require mental health services, according to Villar.