Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said his office is looking to ease the process in availing the supplemental medical assistance (MEDplus) program for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) by streamlining its partnership with Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
“The program has been implemented but we’re seeing some difficulty in allowing OWWA members to avail of the program quickly,” Cacdac said in OWWA’s latest Facebook live session.
According to Cacdac, the MEDPlus program, which provides a P50,000 cash assistance for OWWA members with dreaded diseases, currently relies on the records PhilHealth.
“Gagamutin natin ang kabagalan ng MEDPlus (We will heal the slowness of MEDPlus). We are working to establish a new system that will allow us to process MEDPlus without having to wait for PhilHealth,” Cacdac said.
He clarified that there is nothing wrong with the PhilHealth system, but being able to independently work on OWWA’s medical assistance will allow the agency to better cater the needs of OFWs.
OWWA and PhilHealth greenlighted the MEDPlus program on June 2, 2016. It aims to provide a one-time financial assistance to active OWWA and PhilHealth members who are diagnosed with and hospitalized due to a dreaded disease whether in the Philippines or in their country of employment.
“MEDPlus is part of OWWA’s commitment to continually develop and implement welfare programs that are responsive to the needs of OFWs and their families. The collaboration with the PhilHealth will help our member-OFWs further reduce their medical expenses,” then OWWA administrator Rebecca Calzado said.
MEDPlus covers payment of hospital and medical bills of OFWs nursing cancer, chronic liver diseases like hepatitis, heart diseases, among others. (Angeli Cantillana)
Pwde po ba malaman kung paano maka avail ng medical assistance..umuwi na po ako galing kuwait sa dahilan po na nagkasakit ako .hindi pa din po ako gumaling ..hanggang sa ngayon masasakit ang aking tuhod.naisin ko man bumalik hindi pa din pwde.gusto ko po magpagamot..november 20 2017 pa ko nakauwi..salamat po
need ko po umbilical surgery kaso ndi kmi binigyan ng insurance ng company.mkaka avail po b ako ng assistance khit andto ako s dubai or need ko umuwi?