AMPUAN

Ashrayne E. Ampuan
Ms. Janne maica Aristela
English for Academic and Professional Purposes
Febuary 6, 2020

IMPLEMENTING HEALTHCARE SERVICE SHOULD BE FREE FOR INDIGENT

FAMILIES

Introduction

"Health care services" means the furnishing of medicine, medical or surgical treatment, nursing,

hospital service, dental service, optometrical service, complementary health services or any or all

of the enumerated services or any other necessary services of like character, whether or not

contingent upon sickness or personal injury, as well as the furnishing to any person of any and all

other services and goods for the purpose of preventing, alleviating, curing or healing human

illness, physical disability or injury.

Overall, the healthcare system in the Philippines is of a high standard. Filipino medical staff are

expertly trained, but the facilities may not be as impressive as those found in high-end US or

European hospitals.

The quality of the Philippines’ state-subsidized public healthcare, although good, varies widely

between rural and urban areas. Private healthcare in the Philippines provides much more

consistent care and facilities tend to be better equipped than public ones. English is also spoken
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throughout the Philippines, meaning that there should be few language barriers preventing expats

from accessing healthcare.

This paper presents the pros and cons of “Implementing health care services should be free for

Indigent families” even though a well-functioning health care system requires a financing

mechanism.

Counter Arguments

Healthcare in the Philippines is variable, ranging in quality from excellent to dire. Hospitals in

the major cities are generally of a high standard, while many in rural areas lack infrastructure and

investment. Healthcare is provided through both private and public hospitals in the Philippines.

Although healthcare is generally expensive for the average Filipino, expats may find it more

affordable than in their home country.

Local medical staff are well trained, especially in big cities. Many have studied and practiced

medicine overseas, and speak English. The Philippines is one of the biggest exporters of medical

staff in the world, with many nurses and doctors leaving the country to work abroad. While the

remittances sent home from these workers are an important contributor to the Philippines

economy, healthcare provision in the Philippines has been undermined by the departure of so

many medical professionals.

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All citizens are entitled to free healthcare under the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation

(PhilHealth). The scheme is government-controlled and funded by local and national government

subsidies, as well as by contributions from employers and employees. Doctors at public hospitals

in the Philippines are well-trained, although equipment and facilities may not be up to the

standard of private institutions. Access to public healthcare in the Philippines remains a

contentious issue, particularly in rural areas. Although all Filipino nationals are entitled to

healthcare through PhilHealth, not all medical procedures are covered by the scheme and

medical expenses are often paid for by the individual patient.

Private healthcare is widely available in major cities. Most hospitals in the Philippines are

privately run. For those who can afford it, treatment in private hospitals is excellent. Although

expensive by local standards, services at these institutions are relatively cheap for many expats

when compared to what they would pay back home. The Philippines is even becoming a popular

destination for medical tourism due to the low cost and high standard of services offered at

private facilities, most of which expect cash payment upfront before commencing treatment.

My Argument

The healthcare services should lower overall health care costs: The government controls the

prices through negotiation and regulation. Lowers administrative costs: Doctors only deal with

one government agency. For example, doctors spend four times as much as Filipinos dealing

with insurance companies. Forces hospitals and doctors to provide the same standard of service

at a low cost: In a competitive environment like the United States, health care providers must
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also focus on profit. They do this by offering the newest technology. They offer expensive

services and pay doctors more. They try to compete by targeting the wealthy. Creates a healthier

workforce: Studies show that preventive care reduces the need for expensive emergency room

usage. Without access to preventive care, 46% of emergency room patients went because they

had no other place to go. They used the emergency room as their primary care physician. This

health care inequality is a big reason for the rising cost of medical care.

Early childhood care prevents future social costs: These include crime, welfare dependency, and

health issues. Health education teaches families how to make healthy lifestyle choices,

preventing chronic diseases.

Conclusion

The Philippines is committed to achieving universal health care for its people in the shortest

possible time. To this end, the current government has announced an ambitious program

comprising three major thrusts of financial risk protection for the sick, upgrading and

improvement of government facilities, and enabling communities to achieve the health targets of

the Millennium Development Goal while addressing the emerging threat of non-communicable

diseases. In order to achieve the equity goals of universal health care, the three thrusts of

the government program must be aimed at providing remedies for major defects in six building

blocks of the health system. True universal health care providing equal access to services for all

Filipinos may be achieved if the following conditions are met, the existence of a modern

information system optimally, strengthened mechanisms to

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regulate quality and availability of health goods and services, integrated delivery of primitive,

preventive, curative, and rehabilitative health services at all levels, a restructured health

financing system that emphasizes government and shared risk sourcing of funds and minimizes

reliance on out of pocket payments at the point of service, improving stakeholder inputs in the

system for health governance, a well-motivated, appropriately trained health workforce deployed

to areas of need.