Assessment of the PhilHealth CARES Program in Selected Areas of the National Capital Region

---

By design, the PhilHealth Customer Assistance, Relations and Empowerment Staff (CARES) project provides a member/patient-focused service that mediates between the individual and the huge government machinery as well as with stakeholders such as hospitals and health-care providers. This Policy Note describes the overall goals and objectives of the program and how these are understood by the program managers and staff in selected areas in the National Capital Region. It evaluates the extent to which these goals and objectives were met, as well as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as perceived by the CARES managers and staff. Helping patients obtain benefits and hospitals process their claims were some of the strengths and opportunities of CARES. The challenges posed by poor technical and logistical support, lack of efficient monitoring and evaluation systems, and the absence of job tenure were among the weaknesses and threats that PhilHealth has to contend with.