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PhilHealth questioned over P45-B projection for COVID-19 claims
By JON VIKTOR D. CABUENAS,GMA NewsThe Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) expects to release P45 billion for claims related to COVID-19, but a lawmaker on Wednesday countered that this should be lower even if patients are diagnosed with severe cases.
In a congressional hearing, PhilHealth acting senior vice president Nerissa Santiago said the state insurer expects the P45-billion projection to cover 209,000 cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines this year.
Such projections were considered by PhilHealth when it said its actuarial life
is now down to a year, from 10 years in 2019, along with the expected decline in collections.At present, Santiago confirmed that only around P1 billion has been paid for COVID cases so far. Latest data indicates that as of Auguust 4, 2020, the Philippines has recorded a total of 112,593 confirmed cases.
This was questioned, however, by Marikina Representative Stella Luz Quimbo who noted that under global data, only 20% of the cases are hospitalized.
Taking this into consideration, Quimbo said that the PhilHealth projection should only be around P3.2 billion, even if all those hospitalized are severe cases which would incur the highest costs.
Quimbo's projection is 92.88% lower than the state insurer's projection.
"Hindi po talaga aabot 'yan ng 45 (billion pesos). Ang worry ko is sa kaka-project ng napakalaki, nagkakaroon ng mas malaking leeway sa fraud na hindi naman maganda," she explained.
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Quimbo also noted that presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. himself said most of the COVID-19 cases in the Philippines are mild or asymptomatic
PhilHealth is now facing investigations after three officials resigned just last month over alleged corrupt practices in the agency.
One of them was anti-fraud legal officer Thorrsson Montes Keith, who in a Senate hearing on Tuesday said the PhilHealth "mafia" has pocketed some P15 billion from fraudulent schemes.
Roque also said PhilHealth officials are under investigation over the agency's alleged overpriced purchase of an information technology system worth over P2 billion.
According to Roque, the investigation will be headed by Undersecretary Jesus Melchor Quitain of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President. —KBK, GMA News