Senior citizens undergoing dialysis can soon avail free treatment as the House Special Committee on senior citizens approved House Bill 7859 or Free Dialysis for Senior Citizens Act in a virtual meeting on Thursday, February 4.
Under the bill, as long as the Department of Health-approved dialysis procedure was availed at hospitals and freestanding dialysis centers accredited by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), the cost will be reimbursed by the state insurer.
However, the proposed measure would only shoulder necessary procedures, supplies and dialysis treatments that are listed in the latest edition Philippine National Drug Formulary.
According to Senior Citizen Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordones who authored the bill, the incidence of death due to kidney disease among senior citizens had elevated over the past 10 years and this can only be prevented if the elderly would have access to available treatments.
Aside from House Bill 7859, three more bills seeking provision of vaccination and immunization to elderly were approved by the panel during the online meeting.
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