CAMILLE Villar, Rep. of Las Piñas has proposed the inclusion of mental health disorders in the benefit packages of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
At the same time, the House Deputy Speaker also sought the grant of a three-day mental health wellness leave to employees of both the public and private sectors.
In pushing for the inclusion of mental health disorders under the coverage of PhilHealth, Villar cited the Mental Health Strategic Plan 2019-2023 of the Philippine Council for Mental Health showing that 3.3 per cent of the country’s population, or around 3.3 million Filipinos, live with depression, with a suicide mortality rate pegged at 3.2 per 100,000 population.
“In order to address this seeming mental health crises among our population, this bill shall expand the coverage of the benefit package to include all mental health disorders and regardless of age group,” Villar said in House Bill No. 10934.
She proposed that the benefit package shall cover emergency services, psychiatric and neurological services, and Mental Health Gap Action Program, and therapy sessions.
“This bill also address the rising costs of mental health treatment by mandating an appropriate increase in PhilHealth’s benefit package taking into consideration the current costs in medical services,” she said.
Villar also filed HB 10929 calling for the grant of mental health wellness leaves to all workers in the country.
“This bill seeks to supplement the overall State objectives by granting employees of the public and private sectors a mental health wellness leaves of three days with full pay,” Villar said.
“It is the hope of this bill to increase labor productivity and efficiency and raise awareness of the importance of mental health not only for the individual well-being of the employees but also the to the overall health and well-being of our nation,” she also said.
Villar said the proposed measure will also complement Republic act No. 11036, or the Mental Health Act, which affirms the right of all Filipinos to mental health and the fundamental rights of people who require mental health services.
“One of objectives of the Mental Health Act is to develop and establish a comprehensive, integrated, effective and efficient national mental health care system responsive to the psychiatric, neurologic, and psychosocial needs of the Filipino people,” Villar said.
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