Evaluation of service access, utilization, and satisfaction with health care services received by families in an urban poor community in the Philippines who are members of the PhilHealth Indigent Program

The purpose of this study was to explore the access to, utilization of, and satisfaction with health care services received by members of a sponsored insurance scheme for the poor in the Philippines—the PhilHealth Sponsored Program. Twenty-five families residing in Arkong Bato, an urban poor area in Pasig City, Philippines, were interviewed. The tool was a semi-structured survey instrument adapted from the Client Access, Utilization, and Satisfaction Questionnaire developed for the Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration's Starting Early Starting Smart project. Results of this study show that the two most common loci of health care services were the community health center and medical missions. The free cost of health care and medications provided in these locations were the primary reason why respondents used these facilities. Respondents' reported past reasons for inability to access health care included high costs and lack of medications. Respondents were most satisfied with health care services received by the youngest child and the community as a whole compared to care for themselves, their spouse, and their family generally. Because there is an existing impetus to increase membership rates and expand benefit packages, it is recommended that PhilHealth Sponsored Program focus on (1) adding preventive services to their benefit package such as health screenings and (2) providing a prescription drug benefit.