PHILHEALTH TO PROVIDE FREE MAMMOGRAM, ULTRASOUND STARTING JULY — ROMUALDEZ

HOUSE Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Tuesday said that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) will provide free yearly mammogram and ultrasound services starting July 2024.

The House leader made the announcement after he met with PhilHealth officials headed by its President and CEO, Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. on Monday.

“I commend PhilHealth for their swift action in responding to our call to provide free mammogram and ultrasound examinations to our women. This initiative reflects the commitment of the administration of President Marcos to prioritize the health and well-being of Filipino women, ensuring access to crucial preventive care,” Romualdez said.

“This is the best news we can give to the Filipino women, especially during Women’s Month,” he added.

Romualdez, with House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, met with the PhilHealth officials on Monday to follow up on the House’s request for yearly free mammograms and ultrasounds.

“We will deliver, sir. We will not fail you; we need to deliver. We are really confident that we will be able to fulfill your request,” Ledesma assured Romualdez.

“Early detection is key in addressing various health concerns, and by removing financial barriers to these essential services, PhilHealth is helping to save lives and promote a healthier future for our women,” Romualdez said.

The Speaker expressed optimism that the free services from PhilHealth signal the start of an enhanced relationship between Congress and the agency in their shared responsibility to deliver basic healthcare services to the public.

It can be recalled that following the Speaker’s call for increased benefits to its members, PhilHealth announced a 1,400% increase in the “Z benefit package” for breast cancer patients, raising the package from P100,000 to P1.4 million.

Last week, Tulfo relayed Romualdez’s message to expedite the provision of free mammograms, ultrasounds, and other tests for women in time for the celebration of National Women’s Month during the hearing of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Committee on Senior Citizens, and Special Committee on Persons with Disabilities regarding discounts and benefits for senior citizens and PWDs.

“Pwede po ba gawing libre na ang mammogram para sa mga kababaihan natin. I think nasa top five po ng causes of death ng Filipino women ang cancer of the breast,” Tulfo said, adding that this was the request of the Speaker and his wife, Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, based on their several meetings.

As of August 2023, up to 86,484 cancer cases are reported in the Philippines annually, of which 27,163 are breast cancer cases.

The same report said that 9,926 Filipino women have died from breast cancer, ranking it third among the deadliest types of cancer in women.