North Luzon Monitor

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Universal Health Care: Sana All

JP Villanueva
Latest posts by JP Villanueva (see all)

I have been working in Taiwan for the past two years now and although I avoid at all costs comparing various aspects of life here in Taiwan from that of the Philippines, I could help but do it with the excellent health care system here.

First and foremost, I have to emphasize that health care is already considered one of the basic needs, along with education, food, shelter and clothing. In economics, health care is a public good, meaning it is a good that is provided by the government. As a merit good, there is an undersupply of it, and so the private sector makes up for it.

In the case of the Philippines, public hospitals are not enough to cater to the health care needs of the population. That is why, many private institutions build hospitals that are of course more expensive than public hospitals.

To address this concern, in 1995, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) was created to make health care more accessible to all. Such that, even if citizens go to a private hospital, they won’t have to pay much because of PhilHealth, that is in the ideal, perfect world. But the reality is, it is not the case.

PhilHealth contributions ballooned since the very first time I paid contributions back in the year 2000. If I remember it right, the monthly contribution back then was P125. Now, the minimum employee’s contribution is P500. Employers pay the same amount as their share.

With PhilHealth, hospital bills in public hospitals paid by patients have significantly gone down, but for private hospitals, bills are still huge but the PhilHealth deductions are helpful in lessening the bill.

Here in Taiwan, there is the National Health Insurance (NHI). Contributions are divided among the employee (30%), the employer (35%) and the government (35%). Since it is divided into three, the contributions are relatively lower but still based on the basic salary. I pay NT$1300 (around P2,300), which is roughly the same amount I was paying for PhilHealth back when I was still the Philippines.

But here is the difference.

The other day, I went to my doctor because I developed cough coming back from my vacation in the Philippines. I paid NT$150 (P250) for the check-up and came out with medicines good for three days without having to pay more. That same day, I also went to the dentist because I had swollen gums, and the dentist prescribed strong painkillers and antibiotics which I got from the pharmacy without having to pay anything as well.

Furthermore, I got diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension last year and I have been taking maintenance medicines since. I get these medicine every month from the Pharmacy for free. Laboratory tests, x-ray, and other tests can also be availed by paying only NT$150.

A friend was hospitalized last year, confined for a day, got lab tests and all, and only paid NT$500 (P900) only.

The NHI card stores all of one’s health records such that if one gets hospitalized anywhere in Taiwan, his records can be accessed easily without having to contact the primary hospital of the patient.

Don’t get me wrong. I know it’s wrong to compare but I think the Philippines, through PhilHealth, and all the related legislations that go with it can actually aim for the same. 

Reading the PhilHealth Law and the National Health Insurance Act of 2013, I can say that citizens may be able to access a more universal health care coverage if and only if, the people responsible of managing our country’s health care system stop thinking about their own welfare and self-interest and start being more concerned of the citizenry’s health and well-being. 

That P14 Billion could have gone a long way. Tsk tsk tsk… And not us being contented in saying, “sana all!”. 

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