Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri called for the passage of a law that would require the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to cover the cost of lupus screening for its members, citing persistent gaps in diagnosis and treatment.
The Senate on Tuesday approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 1513, also known as the Comprehensive Lupus Prevention Act, bringing the measure a step closer to becoming law.
Zubiri said the approval of the bill would provide focused national support for lupus patients and their families and strengthen the country’s response to the disease.
“So much of the fear around lupus is in how little we still know about it. We don’t know the cause. I am full of hope. With this measure, we can finally establish a data-driven national plan of action against lupus,” Zubiri said.
He said one of the reasons knowledge about lupus remains limited is the high rate of misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis, which the proposed measure seeks to address by shifting the cost of screening away from patients.
“One of the reasons we know so little about lupus is because of misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis. So we hope to address that by having the PhilHealth shoulder lupus screening costs,” he said.
Zubiri explained that lupus is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks healthy tissues and organs, and when left undiagnosed and untreated, it can cause serious organ damage, with the kidneys among the most vulnerable.
There is currently no cure for lupus, but Zubiri said the condition can be managed through proper treatment and medication, making early detection and sustained care critical for patients to live longer and healthier lives.
