MANILA, Philippines- May inihaing resolusyon sa Senado upang magkaroon ng pagsusuri kung paano palalawakin ang saklaw ng Universal Health Care (UHC) Act sa benefit package para sa pustiso at iba pang dental health services.
Base sa Senate Resolution No. 1021, hiniling ni Senador Raffy Tulfo sa Senate Health and Demography Committee na suriin ang posibilidad na amyendahan ang UHC Law upang sakupin ang dental health services.
“The current coverage provided by [the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth] under the UHC Act does not explicitly include dental health services and procedures, leaving a significant gap in access to essential dental care,” ayon sa resolusyon.
“The inclusion of dental health services and the provision of dentures in the PhilHealth benefit packages is essential to promote preventive care, addressing oral health issues, and improving the overall health outcomes of Filipinos,” giit pa sa dokumento.
Ipinaliwanag ng awtor sa resoluyon na kailangang palawakin ang coverage ng PhilHealth para sakupin ang dental services upang mapanatili ng indibiduwal ang kalusugan ng bibig partikular sa manggagawa at makatulong sa economic productivity.
“The inability to access affordable dental care, including dentures, disproportionately affects marginalized populations and weighs in on existing disparities in oral health outcomes,” nakasulat sa resolusyon.
“Ensuring access to dental health services is not only a matter of public health but also of economic productivity, as poor dental health maintenance can adversely affect job prospects and career advancement,” dagdag pa rito. Ernie Reyes
