Red Cross could stop COVID-19 tests ‘anytime’ –Gordon

The Philippine Red Cross could suspend COVID-19 tests that are chargeable to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) "anytime," Senator Richard Gordon warned on Monday after the state health insurer's debt to the PRC had again risen to P762.8 million.

"We will stop anytime because masyadong kampante ang PhilHealth. Akala nila we are government. We are not government," Gordon, chairman of the PRC, said in an interview on GMA News TV's Balitanghali.

He stressed that before New Year, the PRC ordered 480,000 test kits worth $5 million and that the organization also needed to pay its medical technologists.

"Hindi naman kami pwedeng malugi. Ano, kami [ang] magpapakamatay dahil sa negligence at maladministration ng PhilHealth? Hindi naman tama iyon," Gordon said.

Earlier in the day, he said the state health insurer should pay at least P500 million to the PRC "right away."

The senator also rejected the explanation of PhilHealth that the review of submitted documents was the reason behind the slow release of payments to the PRC.

"They are just looking for excuses. How can they say that? Lahat ng tine-test namin galing sa kanila. Lahat ng sinulat doon, galing sa kanila," he said.

Gordon added that he would not set any deadline, and stressed that PhilHealth was "already in delay many, many times."

In mid-October, the PRC temporarily stopped accepting COVID-19 tests that were chargeable to PhilHealth after the latter's failure to diligently pay its P1 billion debt. The testing resumed two weeks later after PhilHealth made a partial payment.

The state health insurer was able to settle P800 million as of November 18 but a new unpaid balance had accumulated again. — DVM, GMA News