PCSO to cover doctor’s fee for indigent patients
PCSO to cover doctor’s fee for indigent patients
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00:00Coverage, a huge word in the business of insurance, especially for indigents seeking medical assistance.
00:06The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, or PCSO, upon the behest or entreaty of the
00:11House of Representatives, in particular, Rep. Erwin Tulfo, has used to the plea of including
00:18doctors' fees under coverage for poor and indigent patients who receive medical treatment
00:24with help from the government.
00:26And the House expressed gladness over this latest development, even as the new coverage
00:30order kicks in on October this year, as our Mela Lesmora reports once more.
00:39To further improve the healthcare situation in the country, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes
00:44Office announced it will now cover doctors' fees for indigent patients seeking assistance
00:49from them.
00:50During a meeting at the Batasang Pambansa, PCSO General Manager Mel Robles finally capitulated
00:56to the request of the House leadership regarding the matter.
01:00Ever since, the PCSO's Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients Program, or MAIP, never
01:05covered doctors' professional fees.
01:07However, they will now change their policy for the sake of our less fortunate countrymen.
01:13"...Ngayon talaga ang gusto ng ating mahal ng Pangulong na talagang libre ang medical care for all of the Filipino people, lalo ng mga indigent o yung nahihirapan.
01:26Kaya napapasalamat tayo dito ang araw na ito.
01:29Salamat GM.
01:30Kaya yung sticking point lang yung PF.
01:33And since you have already found a way to have that covered, the PF issue is now covered
01:42and will be satisfied."
01:44According to GM Robles, this initiative could possibly start by October.
01:49They just need to recalibrate the system.
01:51"...Of course, the intention is to wala ng bayaran ng ating mamayang.
01:55But that is the dream, that is the goal.
02:00But in our case, it will all depend on our budget availability.
02:04Just the good news is we can, yung binibigay namin.
02:08Kasi sometimes, dumarating sa amin wala na lahat babayaran.
02:12Ang babayaran nalang PF, in that case, wala kaming babayaran.
02:16Kasi bawal na sa aming guidelines.
02:18Now we have changed the guidelines na pwede na ipambayad.
02:22So we might not be enough.
02:25It might not be enough, but at least meron na po."
02:28One of the key proponents of this initiative is House Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo.
02:33He said this move is in response to the request of many of our countrymen
02:37and also in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marquez, Jr.
02:42"...Parang halos wala ng cash out ang ating mga indigent patients kahit sa private hospitals.
02:49Kahit na tatlon doktor pa yang sabi ni GM Robles kanina.
02:53Kahit na tatlon doktor pa yan, kuna 10,000 sila, sasagutin ng PCSO yung professional fee.
02:59So with that, talagang yung universal healthcare natin mas gagana pa."
03:06Once this new policy takes effect,
03:08the Philippine Medical Association has assured the cooperation of doctors.
03:13As a result, it is expected that incidents where patients are seemingly stuck in hospitals
03:18due to the inability to pay doctors' professional fees will be avoided.
03:22"...Well, we are very happy with this agreement kasi we do trust the PCSO.
03:27We have a long history of being beneficiaries of the PCSO grants.
03:33At least ngayon, alam na namin na meron darating for those promissory notes."
03:39Melanes Moras from the National TV Network for a New and Better Philippines.