More money for the health care of Filipinos living with HIV… or more money for the pockets of faux service providers?
The amount allocated for every Filipino living with HIV under the Outpatient HIV/AIDS Treatment (OHAT) Package of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has been increased 30% to ₱39,500 starting this February.
This is according to a reliable source of Outrage Magazine; this person helped in the drafting of the 2015 version of the OHAT Package.
Prior to this increase, the OHAT Package allocated ₱30,000 per PLHIV per year, or P7,500 every quarter. The amount is supposed to cover various items, including “drugs and medications, laboratory examinations based on the specific treatment guideline including Cluster of Differentiation 4 (CD4) level determination test, viral load (if warranted), and test for monitoring anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs toxicity and professional fees of providers.”
According to Michael David dela Cruz Tan, editor in chief of Outrage Magazine and chairperson emeritus of Bahaghari Center for SOGIE Research, Education and Advocacy, Inc., the increase is – in idea – great. “But we always have to ask if the money goes to where it’s supposed to go.”
As it is, according to Tan, “may mga reklamo na kaming natanggap tungkol sa kulang na serbisyong binibigay sa mga PLHIV kahit na ang buong halaga ng salapi ay kinukuha pa rin ng treatment hubs (we have received complaints regarding the lack of services offered to PLHIVs even if the OHAT Package amount is collected by treatment hubs).”
This means, added Tan, that “may mga panahon na di naman talaga napupunta sa PLHIV ang buong halaga, kung hindi ay sa bulsa ng nagpapatakbo ng hubs (there are times when the full amount do not go to PLHIVs, but in the pockets of those running the hubs).”
Tan recommends coming up with “better processes to monitor where the money really goes”.
And “para sa mga Filipino na may HIV, busisihin ninyo kung paano ginastos ang ₱39,500 ninyo. Maghanap ng breakdown of expenses. Kung di kayo bibigyan – o kahit ipakita man lang sa inyo kung paano ginamit ang halagang yan – ibig sabihin ay may iba pang nakikinabang sa perang yan (to Filipinos with HIV, scrutinize how the ₱39,500 is spent. Look for a breadown of expenses. If they don’t give it to you – or even just show you how the amount is spent – it means that someone else is profiting from it).”
