Philhealth ‘aggressively’ reviewing benefit packages amid budget row
MANILA, Philippines — Following criticisms of low coverage of health bills, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) said that it is reviewing its benefit packages.
Sen. JV Ejercito, principal sponsor of the Universal Healthcare (UHC) Law in the Senate, questioned why Philhealth was able to allot almost P90 billion in standby funds when its coverage for form hospital bills was low.
In a statement issued to Philstar.com, Philhealth spokesperson said the agency acknowledged Ejercito’s concerns and the “perceived inadequacies in some of our benefit packages.”
“We are aggressively reviewing our benefit packages to ensure they are aligned with our members’ healthcare needs and costs. Our goal is to provide more substantial support for high-cost catastrophic treatments and to help address the gaps in our current system through healthcare financing,” Philhealth spokesperson Israel Pargas said.
Pargas also said that Philhealth plans to release expanded coverages for severe dengue, ischemic heart disease with myocardial infarction, and cataract. It also planned to expand coverage for chemotherapy.
Addressing Ejercito’s concern about standby funds, Pargas called it a “point of contention.”
“We are committed to addressing any outstanding claims, provided these are compliant to the existing rules and regulations. As of the first week of October, PhilHealth has paid a total of P124.04 billion in claims nationwide,” Pargas added.
The spokesperson, however, admitted that Philhealth “can only do so much.”
“The UHC’s success is on the cooperation and support of the entire Government, the private sector, and the entire citizenry as well,” the Philhealth spokesperson said.
However, Ejercito is not the only senator who expressed concerns over Philhealth’s reserve funds. Senate President Francis Escudero, citing the Department of Finance, said that Philhealth has amassed P500 billion in reserve funds.
Escudero said that instead of hiking rates, Philhealth could afford to slash its mandatory contribution rates.
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