By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY — Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez is pushing to expand the Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) nationwide to strengthen the Philippine healthcare system.
Benitez said he discussed the proposal with National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan during the latter’s visit last week for the opening of the NEDA-Negros Island Region (NIR) office.
“We’re discussing and exploring different options on how BacCHP can be a national program,” Benitez said.
The program, which currently helps cover healthcare costs for Bacolod residents, could be implemented nationwide with legislative support, he said.
Benitez noted gaps in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) system, saying patients are often still charged fees despite being enrolled in health programs.
He expressed optimism that expanding BacCHP would help address these challenges by ensuring a zero-balance billing system, including private hospitals in the program.
Benitez said NEDA is expected to play a role in assessing financial feasibility.
Based on initial discussions, he believes there are sufficient resources for the initiative.
The proposal also suggests consolidating government healthcare resources under PhilHealth to streamline funding and improve coverage.
“Just to be clear, the assistance of departments like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health (DOH) will be placed all in one basket under PhilHealth, so they would cover everything instead of scattering it per department,” Benitez said.
He added that this system would ensure all citizens are covered under a unified healthcare program with zero-balance billing.
As of November 2024, BacCHP has registered 267,319 members and issued 71,887 health cards to beneficiaries.
A total of 10,758 patients have been served, with PHP 100.46 million in healthcare assistance disbursed.
Launched in 2022, BacCHP aims to provide free and quality healthcare to marginalized and underserved communities.
The city has since partnered with seven private hospitals to expand services.
The program covers a range of medical services, including consultations, hospitalizations, laboratory procedures, and medications.
