PhilHealth, OWWA tackle expanded health benefits for OFWs

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA) are in coordination for expanded medical benefits for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

In an online press conference on Wednesday, OWWA Deputy Administrator Rosalia Susana Bahia-Catapang shared that the two agencies are looking into the possibility of restructuring their MEDplus program.

The MEDplus program aims to provide medical and financial assistance to OFWs who are members of PhilHealth and OWWA, helping them deal with dreaded diseases and hospitalizations either in the Philippines or overseas.

The assistance is currently limited at P50,000 per member.

“Mayroon pong assistance na binibigay ang PhilHealth members at ito po tinatapatan ng OWWA financial assistance po. We will be sitting down with PhilHealth in the coming days to work on the improvements and to ensure the effective implementation of the program at para din po maayos po natin ang rollout ng YAKAP (Yaman ng Kalusugan program) at GAMOT (Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment program) sa lahat ng regions natin sa Pilipinas,” she shared.

(PhilHealth gives assistance to its members and this is matched by OWWA financial assistance. We will be sitting down with PhilHealth in the coming days to work on the improvements and to ensure the effective implementation of the program and so we can also fix the rollout of YAKAP and GAMOT for all the regions in the Philippines.)

Meanwhile, OWWA reported the successful launch of their YAKAP Gamot Botika project in Tuguegarao.

In partnership with PhilHealth, their existing YAKAP Gamot Botika at the OWWA Central Office has served more than 2,000 OFWs and their families.

“Libreng checkup, laboratory, gamot po para sa ating mga mahal na OFWs and their families, at ngayon po kami ay lumabas na sa Metro Manila… Ang ating objective na aming hihilingin ang suporta sa PhilHealth na ito po ay ating magawa din sa lahat ng regions sa buong Pilipinas,” she said.

(Free checkup, laboratory [tests], medicinesfor our beloved OFWs and their families, and now we have gone outside Metro Manila… Our objective that we are asking PhilHealth for support for is that we can also do this in all regions all over the Philippines.) —KG, GMA Integrated News