Nearly 15-M poor Filipinos expected to benefit from P35-B PhilHealth budget

A total of 14.7 million poor households will benefit from the P35.3-billion newly released budget by the government to provide “quality health services, especially to the poor and marginalized.”

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said in a statement on Sunday that the subsidy will go to the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) or PhilHealth to cover the health insurance needs of poor families identified by the Department Social Welfare and Development’s National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (DSWD-NHTS-PR). “Bringing universal health insurance is still a priority in the Aquino administration’s reform campaign. Central to our health agenda in the country is ensuring that the poorest have access to quality medical and health services,” Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said.