PhilHealth studying proposal to halt premiums for minimum wage earners

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on Thursday said it is open to the idea of suspending the implementation of premium payments for minimum wage earners.

“Actually, pinag-aaralan na natin ‘yan. Napaka-gandang proposal at siyempre lahat naman ng mga proposal na makakabuti sa mga kababayan natin, makakapagpagaan, why not? " PhilHealth spokesperson Rey Baleña told Dobol B TV in an interview.

(Actually, we are studying that. It's a very good proposal. And of course all proposals that will benefit our countrymen, why not?)

Baleña also said that if the suspension pushes through, it will not deplete PhilHealth’s fund, which he described as “very robust.”

“Ngayon, kung made-deplete po ba? Hindi pa ho. Hindi made-deplete. Kasi talagang financially very robust po ang PhilHealth. Granting na iyan po ay mangyayari, maisasakatuparan, hindi po tayo naniniwala na made-deplete,” he said.

(Now, if it will be depleted? Not yet, because PhilHealth is really financially very robust. Granting that the suspension will happen, we do not believe that the fund will be depleted.)

Aside from the continuous payments of direct contributors, Baleña said the national government is also committed to providing subsidies to ensure that Philhealth’s fund is stable.

On Tuesday, House Appropriations Committee Senior Vice Chairperson and Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo called for a temporary suspension of PhilHealth premiums for minimum wage earners.

Under House Resolution 1595, Quimbo said the suspension would pave the way for the utilization of the unspent appropriations allocated to PhilHealth for premium subsidies.

Quimbo explained that in 2022, Congress appropriated P80 billion to subsidize PhilHealth premiums for indigent families, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities.

From that amount, P24 billion of the subsidy remains unspent.

She added that Congress again appropriated P79 billion to subsidize PhilHealth premiums for indigent families, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities for 2023. —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA Integrated News