Zubiri says an 18-bed hospital in Davao received P10M from PhilHealth

Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri said a 10-bed hospital in Davao region received P10 million from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) even if it had no COVID-19 case.

"Maraming schemes 'yan (PhilHealth). Meron noon existing beneficiaries. May ospital sa Davao na 10 bed lang siya pero nakakatanggap ng P10M sa PhilHealth. Wala naman silang COVID," the senator said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Sunday.

Zubiri said this was just discovered recently, and that it will be brought up in the Senate hearing.

"Opo, recently lang. Ilalabas po natin 'yan sa hearing. Napakaraming schemes," he said.

Pressed to elaborate on this scheme, Zubiri bared in a Viber group with reporters that he was referring to Golingay General Hospital in Malalag town, Davao del Sur.

It was rather an 18-bed infirmary, not a 10-bed facility, which was allegedly among the top seven highest paid facilities in the region for pneumonia claims in previous years.

Based on a PhilHealth document presented by Zubiri, the hospital collected pneumonia claims worth P18 million in 2014 and almost P10 million in the first semester of 2015.

The issue had been "officially" investigated previously but "nothing happened," according to the Senate leader.

GMA News Online reached out to Golingay General Hospital regarding the allegation but has yet to receive an official response as of posting time.

Zubiri said the Senate investigation into alleged irregularities in the state insurer should proceed to find out the truth about all the allegations.

"Tuloy dapat ang Senate investigation. Kung 'di tayo nag-imbestiga, 'di mahahalungkat ito, 'di malalaman ng taumbayan," he said.

The PhilHealth said Saturday it is preparing to release the list of over 700 hospitals that received a cumulative P15 billion funds from the state insurer to disprove claims of corruption.

Meanwhile, PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales and executive vice president Arnel De Jesus have disclosed their unfavorable medical conditions to the Senate ahead of the hearing scheduled this Tuesday.

Last Tuesday, PhilHealth’s former anti-fraud legal officer Thorrsson Montes Keith said a "mafia" was able to steal some P15 billion from the state insurer through several fraudulent schemes.

He noted that the PhilHealth "mafia" has deep roots in the agency, including top officials in the executive committee.

Keith said among the fraudulent schemes being employed are the cash advances, the use of the interim reimbursement mechanism, and the continuous procurement of IT equipment the agency already has.

PhilHealth already denied the allegations. — Dona Magsino/KG/RSJ, GMA News