PhilHealth: Alleged threat of private hospitals to cut ties 'strange, amusing'

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on Tuesday refuted the allegation that around 600 private hospitals have threatened to sever ties with it next year for supposed unpaid claims amounting to billions of pesos.

"We find these allegations strange and amusing... I think it's the other way around. These hospitals do not want to cease their accreditation with Philhealth," PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales said in an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita.

"Sa pananaw namin ay nakakamangha dahil sa mga nakakausap naming sinasabi niyang miyembro ng kaniyang kasapian, iba naman ang sinasabi nila—gusto nilang magpa-accredit sa PhilHealth," he added.

Morales pointed out that even those hospitals that they previously sanctioned for violations are still working hard to get accreditation again.

On Monday, the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAP) published an open letter to Morales.

According to the group, the PhilHealth owes PHAP unpaid claims amounting to P2.5 billion.

Morales, on the other hand, challenged PHAP president Dr. Rustico Jimenez to provide more details about the supposed unsettled reimbursements.

"'Yung mga sinasabi niyang mga hindi nababayaran, puwede siyang magbigay ng more specifics. Masasagot natin," he said.

Moreover, Morales said efforts are ongoing to iron out the issue on PhilHealth's backlogs in general.

"We're working steadily to reduce the backlogs. We're working directly with hospitals, talking to their chief information officer at finance people nila to reduce the backlogs," he said. —Dona Magsino/KG, GMA News