The HTA Council, with its Core Committee and Subcommittees, is an independent advisory body created under the UHC Act with the overall role of providing guidance to the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on the coverage of health interventions and technologies to be funded publicly. The UHC Act requires that any investment in new and existing health technologies and the development of benefit packages are based on positive recommendations by the HTA Council and that all health interventions and technologies, despite having undergone an initial appraisal process, be subjected to periodic review especially with the emergence of new evidence that may have an impact on the initial coverage decisions by DOH and PhilHealth. The HTA Council is supported by the HTA Division of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in its governance, management and operations for the nation’s goal of achieving safe, effective, efficient, fair, affordable and responsive health care for all Filipinos. 

HTAC Core Committee

The Core Committee is responsible for the development and submission of final recommendations to policy- and decision-makers, based on the evidence appraisal of the different subcommittees. It is composed of nine (9) voting members, namely:

public health epidemiologist; health economist; ethicist; citizen’s representative; sociologist or anthropologist; clinical trial or research methods expert; clinical epidemiologist or evidence-based medicine expert; medico-legal expert; and public health expert.

The Core Committee members are tasked to approve the agenda of the HTA Council meetings in consultation with the head of the HTA Division and the HTA Technical Secretariat; and ensure that the quality of the evaluations submitted by the assessment groups adhere to the agreed methodological standards.

HTAC Subcommittees

The Subcommittees support the Core Committee in achieving a timely, effective, efficient and responsive technology appraisal process by performing the initial review of submissions of the topic nominators, HTA reports from the assessment groups and other actors who submit evidence to the HTA Council for purposes of technology appraisal. 

The Subcommittees are constituted according to broad types of health technologies, namely: Drugs, Vaccines, Clinical Equipment and Devices, Medical and Surgical Procedures, Preventive and Promotive Health Services, Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, and Other Health Technologies (e.g., digital health technologies; food, drinks, dietary supplements, personal care products, and general equipment that are part of therapy). All Subcommittees shall have a minimum of one (1) and maximum of three (3) non-voting members for each Subcommittee, and shall elect among themselves a Subcommittee Chairperson.

The Subcommittee members are expected to exercise control over the expected quality, quantity, and timeliness of the HTA reports to be submitted to the HTA Council; evaluate the compliance of the Assessment Groups, with the agreed methodological standards in conducting assessments; 

consider the submission of topic nominators, the HTA report of the assessment team, and  inputs from experts and patients to come up with preliminary recommendations for the Core Committee; and, review and endorse the initial appraisal reports by the Subcommittee to the HTA Core Committee for final discussion and recommendation. 

The Subcommittee Chairpersons  preside over all meetings of their respective Subcommittees;

call meetings (through the HTA Technical Secretariat) to enable the Subcommittee to perform its duties and responsibilities; set the agenda for Subcommittee meetings in coordination with the HTA Technical Secretariat, and evaluate/approve requests for inclusion of additional matters in the agenda; and, review, confirm, and sign the Subcommittee initial appraisal report/evidence summary prepared by the HTA Technical Secretariat.

Subcommittee on Drugs

Subcommittee on Vaccines

Subcommittee on Clinical Equipment and Devices

Subcommittee on Medical and Surgical Procedures

Subcommittee on Preventive and Promotive Health

Subcommittee on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Subcommittee on Other Health Technologies