Solon wants PhilHealth to keep hands off P67.4-B Universal Health Care fund

While riddled with controversy, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) should refrain from touching the P67.4 billion budget for the implementation of the Universal Healthcare law, Iloilo Representative Janette Garin said.

The former Department of Health secretary suggested the multi-billion peso appropriation under the proposed P4.1 trillion budget for 2020 may instead be handled by relevant government agencies such as the Department of Budget or the Department of Finance.  

PhilHealth has been investigating more than 8,000 cases of fraudulent acts ranging from ghost patients, false claims and misrepresentation of patients.

At the start of deliberations of the 2020 proposed appropriations, garin recalled that during her tenure as Health Secretary, PhilHealth requested a P10.6-billion fund from the DBM for the enrollment of senior citizens under the health program, which was not granted after it was found out that the said beneficiaries were already enrolled.

“General [Ricardo] Morales said it himself, it will take years before the system is overhauled. Until Philhealth is able to police itself, bakit tayo maglalagay ng pera sa PhilHealth?,” Garin said.

Morales was appointed as PhilHealth president  after the WellMed controversy was exposed, which was allegedly performing ghost dialysis.

“And so I ask the DBM, will it be amenable that before we debate on the budget before the plenary, baka puedeng ilagay muna ito sa ibang ahensiya, puedeng sa umbrella [unit under] sa DBM o Department of Finance, where the release of PhilHealth packages can be expected?” Garin added.

“Puedeng region by region ang bidding, island by island…because health [needs] cannot wait,” Garin said.

Acting Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado did not agree with Garin’s suggestion, saying that government subsidy to PhilHealth is mandated by law.

Avisado assured Garin that the DBM and PhilHealth will only execute budget disbursements in accordance with existing laws and they are ready to face Congress’ scrutiny.

“Congress has oversight powers, and we will submit to that and other laws,” Avisado said. —LDF, GMA News