Health chief Garin says PhilHealth isn't running out of money

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) continues to fulfill its mandate of providing medical insurance and funding the coverage of the needy even in the face of fraud allegations and investigations into the practice of some hospitals to the detriment of the state-run insurer, Health Secretary Janette Garin said on Thursday. 

 

"It's not true that the PhilHealth is running out of money," Garin told a Senate hearing amid complaints by "... senior citizens that services are not being given." 

 

"However, we agree that fraud should be curbed, because if not done at an opportune time, our obligation to our stakeholders will be put at stake," she said. 

 

The fund being used by PhilHealth is "not the government's money," the Cabinet official pointed out, saying it consists of members' contributions, as well as some P38 billion from sin tax revenues. 

 

Garin also dispelled reports that PhilHealth is "failing to provide" services. "It's not true. In fact, we expanded our dialysis program for senior citizens and other programs," she said. 

 

The state-run health insurance system is launching a "promotive and preventive program" for senior citizens as well as some 14.7 million beneficiaries under the National Household Targeting System, a PhilHealth program focused on the poorest of the poor Filipinos. 

 

The Senate investigation was prompted by allegations that PhilHealth suspended the reimbursements to two eye clinics in Metro Manila that supposedly have been filling questionable claims that continued to pile up from 2013 to 2014. 

 

PhilHealth president and CEO Alexander Padilla said the Pacific Eye Institute in Makati and the Quezon City Eye Institute are the objects of an investigation by the health insurer.
 

The eye clinics were supposedly recruiting patient-beneficiaries to avail themselves of eye procedures even if they don't need one, according to PhilHealth.

In an interview before Thursday's hearing at the Senate, Padilla told reporters the fraudulent scheme likely goes beyond cataract operations to include even caesarean operations even when a normal delivery would suffice. – VS, GMA News