THERE’S an interesting story behind the evolution into law of the measures providing for universal health care and the new Social Security System (SSS): they were principally authored in the Senate and the House of Representatives by the husband-wife tandem of legislators, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and Lipa Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto, respectively.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday signed into law the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act and the New SSS Act of 2018.
Under the new UHC law, all Filipinos shall automatically be enrolled in PhilHealth, either as direct or indirect contributors, and they will be eligible and have access to preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care for medical, dental, mental and emergency health services, including out-patient drugs.
Recto, scion of the noted political clan from Batangas – starting with his grandfather, the nationalist leader Claro M. Recto – was a former three-term Batangas congressman and socioeconomic planning secretary and Neda director general during the Arroyo administration.
His wife Vilma Santos is a multi-awarded actress – dubbed “Star for all Seasons” — who forayed into politics after their marriage. She is often described as an exemplar of how good public service is possible from often-derided showbusiness personalities, for as long as they have the integrity, the right skills and the passion to serve.
When she was starting out as town mayor, Santos-Recto took up specialized courses in public service at the UP’s National College of Public Administration and Gover (NCPAG).
While both Recto and Santos-Recto have been in Congress for several years, this is the first time that major laws where they are listed as principal authors have been enacted.
Improved health all around
As a result of the UHC law, improved benefit packages will reduce the people’s out-of-pocket expenses, while public health facilities and the entire health system will also be improved, according to a press statement from Senator Recto’s office on Thursday.
“Since all Filipinos will now be automatically Philhealth members, we made sure that paying members will continue to contribute to the fund and support the Philhealth operations by providing them additional benefits as incentive for the increase in their premium rate. The additional benefits will incentivize those who pay higher premiums and will encourage those who are voluntarily paying to keep contributing,” said Recto.
To mitigate fraud through false claims which bleed the Philhealth fund, the lawmakers also increased the penalties for erring Philhealth employees, imposing the same penalties with those of colluding healthcare providers.
New SSS Act
Meanwhile, the New SSS Act takes a promember stance by limiting the power of the SSS Commission to increase the rate of contribution and adjust the minimum and maximum salary credit.
A new scheme is introduced in which contributions, on top of the regular social security pension fund, shall accrue to a provident fund.
The SSS member is given the option to voluntarily contribute to a provident fund, which shall be tax-free.
The law also allows kasambahay (household service workers), whose actual monthly income is lower than the minimum salary credit, to contribute based on their actual monthly salary.
It also grants unemployment or involuntary separation benefits to a member.
The new law also removes the presidential authority to approve matters pertaining to the day-to-day operations of the SSS.