TACLOBAN CITY — Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre has pushed back against claims that government medical assistance programs are being used as political patronage. Acidre argued that such programs have become necessary due to widening gaps in the coverage of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) in the country, particularly for patients with serious and high-cost illnesses. In a statement issued on Monday, Acidre cited data from the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC), the biggest government-run hospital in Eastern Visayas, showing that while PhilHealth covers about 70 to 74 percent of hospital bills below P50,000, coverage drops sharply as costs […]... Keep on reading: Solon says gov't medical aid not patronage, cites Philhealth gaps