Philippines Health legislation Moves

in the Philippines, leaders of Congress have given unanimous support to the Revised Medical Care Act of 1994 (HB 6976), which would establish a non-profit health maintenance organization system of health provision for all residents of the country.

Incorporating all existing programs into the new scheme, as well as including those residents who do not at present have health coverage, is expected to take three years. The Act also makes provision for preventive, promotive and educational aspects of public health.

A counterpart bill to HB 6976, the House bill, is the Senate's National Healthcare Act of 1994 (SB 1605), which would provide essential goods, health care and other social services at an affordable price to all Filipinos, and to provide free medical care to the very poor. This bill would establish a national Health Insurance Corporation to administer the national program, and would also expand the provision of medical benefits to cover outpatient care. The services of health care professionals, diagnostic, laboratory and other medical examination services, personal preventative services and prescription drugs and biologicals would all be provided for outpatients under the scheme.