Over P180M unpaid dues of PhilHealth to UST Hospital not true, state insurer head says

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) president Ricardo Morales denied Tuesday they owed UST Hospital over P180 million.

Morales said the state insurer actually paid UST Hospital P85 million in advance for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response this year, aside from the regular dues.

“Walang katotohahan 'yan,” Morales said in an interview on GMA’s Unang Hirit.

“At saka sa taong ito, nag-advance kami ng P85 million para sa COVID response,” he added.

He noted that PhilHealth paid P2.1 billion since 2015 and P300 million in 2019 to UST Hospital.

“’Di ko alam kung saan nanggagaling itong P180 million na sinasabi ng UST Hospital,” he said.

Morales said PhilHealth personnel have been coordinating with the UST Hospital to compare their records.

UST Hospital medical director Dr. Marcellus Ramirez on Sunday said PhilHealth owed the health facility over P180 million in expenses for patients in 2019.

Due to the financial impact of COVID-19 crisis, Ramirez said UST Hospital have to reduce its manpower to minimize expenses and financial losses.

On Monday, however, UST’s Board of Trustees put on hold the retrenchment as they will review the action in a meeting set on May 20, according to its chairman Reverend father Napoleon Sipalay Jr. OP.—AOL, GMA News