Palace urges PhilHealth to seek DBP's help in settling hospital dues

Malacañang on Monday called on PhilHealth to allow Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to help the state insurer speed up the release of its hospital reimbursements amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Talagang hindi katanggap-tanggap na natatagalan ang reimbursement. Although nagbayad ng ?9 billion recently ang PhilHealth, apparently hindi ito sapat or baka hindi na talaga narelease," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at a press briefing.

"Maybe it is time for PhilHealth to look into DBP's suggestion that it will [pay in] advance [the] hospitals' receivables subject to submission of documents. They just have to agree which documents are needed to be submitted," he added.

Roque was reacting to the appeal of private hospitals for PhilHealth to speed up its reimbursement amid the pandemic, given that private hospitals need all the resources they can get to take care of COVID-19 patients.

Roque, however, conceded that he is yet to discuss the matter with President Rodrigo Duterte since he himself has just recovered from COVID-19.

Still, Roque agreed that the issue should be immediately addressed.

"Importante na ang mga pangangailangan ng private hospitals ay ma-release ng PhilHealth...ang buong scheme ng universal healthcare, government talaga ang single purchaser of goods, services," he said.

(It is important for PhilHealth to address the needs of these hospitals because the system provided for by the Universal Healthcare law is for the government to be the single purchaser of goods and services.)  —KBK, GMA News