SENIOR CITIZENS suffering from kidney diseases and needing proper treatment could soon have access to free dialysis procedures.
The House Special Committee on Senior Citizens chaired by Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordones approved House Bill 7859 that provides for free dialysis procedures for all senior citizens.
Under the bill, the cost of the needed hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and other Department of Health (DOH)-approved dialysis procedures would be reimbursed by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) provided that such treatments are availed of at PhilHealth-accredited hospitals and freestanding dialysis centers.
Ordones, bill author, explained that in the Philippines, the need to access dialysis has increased by 400 percent in the past 10 years with chronic kidney disease becoming one of the causes of death among Filipino senior citizens. He said the risk and death associated with kidney disease are preventable with proper access to treatment.
The panel likewise approved the consolidation of three measures that would provide free vaccination and immunization for all senior citizens to protect them from other high risk and death related diseases.
These are HB 6191 authored by Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos Jr; HB 7858 by Ordones; and HB 8052 by Parañaque City Rep. Joy Myra Tambunting.
