Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will push for family-based health insurance to make sure Filipinos of all ages will have access to basic health care services.

In case he is elected president in the May 9 polls, Marcos said he will “redesign” the operations of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to ensure the fast-tracking of funds disbursement.

“Sa aking palagay, dapat pagtibayin iyan at mabigyan ng health insurance lahat dahil kaya naman gawin (I think we need to further strengthen that and provide insurance for all, because it actually can be done),” Marcos said in a recent interview with Sonshine Media Network International.

He said he will boost the concept of the rural health unit (RHU), wherein a small clinic will be built in every barangay or clustered village and will be visited by doctors, nurses as well as midwives at least three times a week.

“Ibaba natin ang (Let’s bring down the) health care system,” he added.

Marcos said the concept of revitalizing the health care system will also improve the country’s hospital care capacity wherein people needing critical medical intervention will have easy access to hospitalization and are well-provided with medical insurance.

Those with mild cases can be treated within the RHUs, he added.

Marcos also backs the full implementation of Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act law amid the COVID-19 pandemic and promised to push for specialty hospitals and tertiary level hospitals in underprivileged communities.

The Universal Health Care Act mandates the institutionalization of health technology assessment as a fair and transparent priority setting mechanism that shall be recommendatory to the Department of Health and PhilHealth for the development of policies and programs, regulation, and the determination of a range of entitlements such as drugs, medicines, pharmaceutical products, other devices, procedures, and services. (PNA)