PHILHEALTH TO RECOMMEND REDUCED CONTRIBUTION AMID ‘EXCESS FUNDS’

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will recommend to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. the reduction of members’ contributions to the fund.

PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Rufino Ledesma made the statement when asked by Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health on Tuesday on the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act or Republic Act No. 11223.

“Actually po, yes. Well, especially after this very nice hearing po that just happened, we will do it immediately po,” Ledesma said. 

The PhillHealth head said he will  convene their  team to recommend a reduction in the premium rates and contribution rates to President Marcos.

The recommendation to cut the premium rate contributions of members was in light of revelations of around P500 billion PhilHealth Reserve Fund and the transfer of the P90 billion excess government subsidy for PhilHealth to the National Treasury.

“Mabigat po ‘yung kontribusyon na iyan tapos makikita (ng members) may natitira pang balanse ang PhilHealth,” Senator Go, the panel chair, noted.

“Bawat piso po ay mahalaga,” the senator dubbed Mr. Malasakit added.

During the Senate hearing, Go asked PhilHealth to suspend the implementation of its 5% increase in the premium contribution, which took effect starting January 1, 2024.

“At kung sobra naman ang pera ninyo (PhilHealth), huwag ninyo na lang muna kolektahan ang mga OFWs natin o huwag muna i-implement ‘yung pagtataas ng contributions para sa mga direct contributors,”  Go said adding that at the height the COVID-19 pandemic there was a deferment of PhilHealth premium hike.

“Huwag natin pahirapan ang ating mga kababayan. Pera naman nila ito. Ibalik lang natin sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng mas mabilis at mas maayos na serbisyo,” the lawmaker from Davao City said.

“Hindi po katanggap-tanggap na may pondong nandyan na hindi nagamit para matulungan ang bawat Pilipinong miyembro naman ng PhilHealth,” Go further said.

Part of the Senate inquiry aims to seek an explanation from the Executive on the unutilized funds of PhilHealth while many patients are struggling to pay for hospitalization and medical bills.