Filtered By: Topstories
News

Finance chief as PhilHealth chair? Okay with me, says Duque


Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday expressed support to the bill seeking to transfer the chairmanship of PhilHealth to the secretary of the Department of Finance from the head of the Department of Health.

Duque said that he trusts the wisdom of the Congress if the lawmakers think that the task in PhilHealth is more fitting for the Finance chief.

“If they think this is now the time to view PhilHealth as a more financial insurance entity and the chairman should be the Secretary of Finance, that’s okay with me,” he said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

Duque, who is currently the chairperson of the state insurer, suggested that Congress should also  revise a provision in Universal Health Care (UHC) law to return the voting power of the PhilHealth chief.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III has filed a bill seeking to transfer the chairmanship in PhilHealth to Finance chief instead of the Health Secretary.

Senate Bill No. 1829, filed on September 14, seeks to amend Section 13 of the UHC law.

The bill stated that the Finance Secretary "must be present and act as the chairman in all board actions and cannot be represented by an alternate or representative."

Sotto's amendatory measure came on the heels of the Senate's investigation on the alleged anomalies in the state health insurer. —KBK, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT