THE Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has reaffirmed its commitment to support United States Medicare portability, which would allow US retirees to avail of the benefits of the federal health insurance program in the Philippines. ​CFO Secretary Dante Ang II said on Tuesday that the reaffirmation of commitment was made during a recent hybrid meeting between CFO representatives and Filipino American leaders. ​Ang assured Eric Lachica of US Medicare Philippines that the CFO would support the initiative through government coordination and discussions with relevant stakeholders. ​During the meeting, Lachica reported that while the US House Appropriations Committee did not endorse the Medicare Portability Bill, efforts to secure Senate sponsorship for the measure remain active. ​He, however, cautioned that if subsidies for the Affordable Care Act are not extended by 2026, an estimated 22 million Americans under 65 could lose health insurance coverage, potentially leading to increased health care costs. ​To bolster advocacy for the measure, Lachica stressed the need to reactivate the Philippine working group on Medicare Portability, which last convened in 2014. ​ He said the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, the Department of Tourism’s Medical Tourism Program, and the Private Sector Advisory Council’s health care sector must be part of the working group. He also suggested collaborating with Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez to address Medicare portability during meetings with White House officials.