PhilHealth chief denies existence of ‘mafia’

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales on Friday dismissed claims that a mafia exists within the agency, and appealed not to publicize too early the names of employees implicated in alleged anomalous claims.

Morales said the charges were "hearsay" and that concrete evidence was not provided against any employee, according to a Balitanghali report by Cedric Castillo.

Morales said safeguards are in place to ensure that PhilHealth resources do not go to private pockets.  He also said they are prepared to assist in the investigation by authorities.

On Thursday, former presidential spokesman Harry Roque accused PhilHealth, then under its president Roy Ferrer, of committing criminal acts when it reversed a 2015 Court of Appeals (CA) decision suspending the Perpetual Succour Hospital Inc. in Cebu.

The hospital was found guilty of two counts of extending a patient’s period of confinement in violation of the PhilHealth law.

The CA decision penalized Perpetual Succour with a three month suspension and a P10,000 fine, affirming an earlier PhilHealth decision. 

But PhilHealth ultimately reversed the CA decision and penalized the hospital with a mere P100,00 fine, and restitution of all benefits unncessarily paid for by PhilHealth

In a previous Senate hearing, Ferrer revealed there were allegedly eight regional senior vice presidents who have influence over PhilHealth.

Mercado plead to investigators not to immediately reveal the names of accused officials to avoid "trial by publicity," such as the case of 21 officers who were charged with graft and corruption over ghost patients at the WellMed Dialysis Center.

In a statement of the 21 PHilHealth employees and officers, the group said the accusations against them were baseless, and that they were not given the opportunity to explain.

The employees added their privacy was affected, as well as that of their relatives.  They also appealed for due process to explain themselves.  —Jamil Santos/ LDF, GMA News