PhilHealth debts to Red Cross hit P800-M mark anew, says Gordon

Senator Richard Gordon on Saturday said the debts of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to the Philippine Red Cross for the conduct of the COVID-19 swab tests have piled up and reached P800 million due to state failure to pay on time.

“Ayaw ko sanang pinag uusapan ‘yan pero nasa P800 million na naman. ‘Di pwede kasi kung kelan lang nila gusto magbayad dahil lalaki nang lalaki baka mapilitan kami itigil dahil bibili pa kami ng gamit tapos ime-maintain naman ang mga tao sa laboratoryo,” Gordon said in a radio interview.

Gordon, who chairs the PRC, said that the humanitarian organization’s secretary general has already sent a letter to PhilHealth.

“Siguro darating ‘yun sa Monday... nakikiusap [kami] sa kanila na mag-up-to-date sila dahil tutumba ang Red Cross dahil sa kanila,” he said.

In early October, the PRC stopped conducting COVID tests chargeable to PhilHealth due to the agency’s inability to settle its outstanding balance of over P930 million at that time.

The PRC resumed testing after the PhilHealth settled half of the balance.

“Ang nakakalungkot dapat sila ang maga-advance, minsan lang nag advance, di na kami makatigil dahil marami ang dapat itest at sa amin ipinadadala lahat. Kami ang nagte-test... OFW (overseas Filipino workers) okay lang naman sa akin basta wag ilagay sa alanganin ang economic situation ng Red Cross,” Gordon said.

Malacañang has earlier assured PRC that it will adhere to its obligations.

“Magbabayad po ang national government. Napatunayan naman po ng national government na hindi po tumatalikod sa obligasyon ang national government,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said earlier.

“[K]inakailangan lang po i-verify. At kinakailangan po ‘yan sang-ayon pa rin doon sa three-tiered payment scheme ng PhilHealth,” Roque added.

Gordon said that the PhilHealth should settle its obligations.

“Dapat lang dahil ang utang dapat binabayaran. ‘Pag umorder ka magbayad ka mahihirapan ang nagbibigay ng serbisyo. Ang gobyerno dapat nauna sa testing,” the senator said. —LBG, GMA News