PhilHealth, Bjmp Sign Agreement to Expand Healthcare Access for over 80,000 Detainees

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) have signed an agreement to strengthen healthcare access for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), including registration with PhilHealth and access to its benefits.

The partnership is expected to support more than 80,000 detainees, with the agencies identifying 28 BJMP facilities nationwide for healthcare delivery through clinic accreditation and the provision of benefits, including services under the YAKAP program.

For people in detention, the agreement aims to address gaps in access to medical care by linking PhilHealth registration with healthcare services in jail facilities.

Registration and Clinic Accreditation

The memorandum of agreement was signed by PhilHealth Acting President and Chief Executive Officer Beverly Lorraine C. Ho and BJMP Jail Director Efren A. Nemeño.

Its priorities include ensuring that PDLs are registered under the National Health Insurance Program and facilitating the accreditation of BJMP clinics.

Together, these measures are intended to improve detainees’ access to covered services and strengthen healthcare delivery within detention facilities.

Nemeño said automatic enrollment and coordination between the agencies would help address long-standing service gaps.

“By ensuring the automatic enrollment of our PDLs under the National Health Insurance Program and facilitating seamless health care access across our facilities, PhilHealth has helped bridge long-standing gaps in public health service for one of our nation’s most vulnerable populations,” he said.

Extending Universal Health Care to People in Detention

Ho emphasized that people in detention remain part of the country’s commitment to Universal Health Care.

“Universal Health Care means every Filipino, including those in detention. Through partnerships like this, PhilHealth is working alongside our fellow government agencies to make sure that no Filipino is left outside the reach of care,” she said.

The inclusion of YAKAP services forms part of the agreement’s broader effort to connect detainees with PhilHealth benefits.

Both agencies said the partnership supports equitable healthcare by strengthening services for a population whose access to care depends heavily on the facilities responsible for their custody.

Through registration, clinic accreditation and coordination on benefits, PhilHealth and BJMP aim to make healthcare more accessible to detainees across the participating facilities.