In a significant health initiative, more than one million residents of Pangasinan have enrolled in the Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (Konsulta) program offered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). This achievement was facilitated through the provincial government’s Government Unified Incentives for Medical Consultation (Guiconsulta) program, which was launched in September of the previous year.
Governor Ramon Guico III proudly shared that the enrollment numbers have been steadily increasing. The Guiconsulta program is designed to motivate PhilHealth members within the province to utilize the preventive healthcare services provided by Konsulta. Participants in the program are also provided with fare and food allowances to ease their access to these services.
Konsulta, a key component of the Universal Health Care Law, offers a range of free services including medical consultations, health screenings, specific laboratory tests, diagnostics, and medications for pre-existing conditions. Each PhilHealth member and their dependents can avail of up to PHP1,700 in Konsulta benefits each year.
Governor Guico emphasized the importance of reaching out to residents directly, stating, ‘Those who are at home do not have access to PhilHealth that is why, we go to the ground. We enroll them one by one with the use of an accredited electronic management record as mandated by PhilHealth.’
The provincial government has set an ambitious target to enroll 2 million members and has committed between PHP400 million to PHP500 million to support the program this year. All 14 government hospitals in Pangasinan are accredited to provide Konsulta services, ensuring widespread access to these vital health benefits.