Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has approved the release of P25.157 billion to cover the one-year health insurance premiums of 8.38 million Filipino indigents.
Pangandaman approved the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) on May 23, the Department of Budget and Management said in a statement on Thursday.
The fund will be sourced from authorized allotments in the 2023 General Appropriations Act.
“Indigent persons are those that have no visible means of income or whose income is insufficient for family subsistence, as identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), based on specific criteria,” the DBM said.
Last month, the DBM approved the release of P42.931 billion to cover the one-year health insurance premiums of over 8.5 million senior citizens nationwide.
