ANTIQUE province is in the initial transition phase as one of the 23 provinces in the country identified as Advance Implementation Site (AIS) under Republic Act 11223, or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law.
Integrated Provincial Health Office chief, Dr. Ric Noel Naciongayo, said Friday that as implementation site of the UHC Law, the people could expect a big improvement in service delivery and availment of health insurance.
“People could really expect a big difference starting this year,” he said.
In an earlier interview, Junie Sabusap, who heads the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation in Antique, said the province as an AIS of the UHC would be given a special health fund to be managed by the local health board chaired by the governor for the PhilHealth’s no balance billing (NBB) program.
“With the fund, the patients admitted at the basic ward could avail of the NBB or will have no more out of the pocket payment to the hospital,” he said.
Sabusap said patients at the basic ward are those not confined in a private room with extra amenities like the air-conditioning unit.
He said the special health fund will also be utilized for the PhilHealth coverage for a year like the room and hospital supplies.
Naciongayo said they are still working out the referral system of cases from the 100-bed capacity Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital to the eight district hospitals in the province that have the necessary treatment facilities.
“The referral system of the cases may happen a little bit later,” he said. The referral system would entail the use of information technology so that all hospitals would be able to see the referred patient’s medical diagnosis.
The referral system when put in place could declog the now congested provincial hospital.(PNA)
