The city government here has issued membership cards to some 35,000 families who can avail of services under the Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP), data on Wednesday showed.

A flagship program of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, the initiative seeks to boost healthcare delivery mainly for indigent residents through in-patient services in major hospitals.

BacCHP focal person Mae Cuaycong said that aside from the existing family health membership cardholders, they receive applications from 150 to 200 clients daily.

“Since it is a family card, all children below 21 years old are covered by the BacCHP. The card has a security feature, and once the QR (quick response) code is scanned, the names of the dependents will appear,” she added in an interview on Wednesday.

By the end of last year, some 1,096 patients availed of services in accredited healthcare institutions since admissions began in the city government’s partner hospitals in May 2023.

In January this year, BaCHP served 305 patients.

A BacCHP member or a non-member can proceed to the liaison desk for assistance when seeking admission.

Cuaycong said a qualified non-member can be enrolled onsite to be admitted and avail of BacCHP benefits.

“As a BacCHP member, the patient will not be required to pay a deposit or downpayment for admission,” she added.

Under the BacCHP Ordinance, the city government guarantees the amount of PHP15,000 for each family health cardholder and their dependents’ hospital bills.

Also deducted are charges covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and patients are advised to seek assistance from national government agencies to help cover other costs.

“There are cases of zero payment for those with minor cases while patients who underwent surgery or with complicated cases have higher charges, but still a substantial amount is deducted from their hospital bills,” Cuaycong said.

The five private hospital partners include the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center, South Bacolod General Hospital and Medical Center, Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital, Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital (Riverside Medical Center Inc.), and The Doctors’ Hospital.

The city government has a similar partnership with the Department of Health-retained Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital. (PNA)