Person with Disability (PWD) 20% Medical Discount Now Available

PWDs may now avail of 20% medical discount (From People's Tonight - published June 10, 2009 and in National Council on Disabilty Affair (NCDA) site )

Filipinos with disabilities may now avail of discounted medicines and other health related services!

The Department of Health (DOH) recently issued Administrative Order No. 2009-0011 detailing the guidelines for the provision of medical and related discounts and special priviledges to persons with disabilities pursuant to Republic Act No. 9442, an act amending the Magna Carta for Person with Disability (R.A. No. 7277).

Under the administrative order, persons with disabilities are entitled to a 20% discount in the purchase of branded and unbranded generic medecines from all establishments dispensing medicines for the exclusive use of person with disabilities; and 20% discount for the cost of medical, dental, and rehabilitation services, diagnostic and laboratory fees in services wards and pay section of government health facilities in accordance with the Clinical Practice Guidelines or Hospital Treatment Protocols and in all private hospitals and medical facilities.

Other discounted services include psychological or developmental tests in service wards of government hospitals; and speech therapies or services in all private hospitals and medical facilities.

In the same administrative order, persons with disabilities who are not yet non-paying PhilHealth members may become PhilHealth members if they are sponsored or enrolled by their respective local government unit (LGU) or voluntarily enroll themselves as individually paying members.

To avail of the discount, a person with disability must present his/her identification card issued by the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) or by the local government units (LGUs) where he/she resides. In addition, a purchase booklet issued by the LGUs to persons with disabilities for free shall be presented every time a purchase of medicine is made.

For more inquiries, please contact the department of Health-Degenerative Disease Office at Tel. no 743-8301 local 1750, 1751 and 1752.