House bill allowing President to reorganize, privatize PhilHealth filed

A measure authorizing the President to reorganize the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), including the privatization of its segments, to make it more effective in delivering services to the public has been filed in the House of Representatives.

In a press conference Wednesday, Marikina City Representative Stella Quimbo said she filed earlier in the day House Bill 7429, or the proposed Social Health Insurance Crisis Act, amid the ongoing congressional inquiries into the alleged irregularities at PhilHealth.

Quimbo said that under the measure, the President will have the power to privatize the entire PhilHealth or its segments.

The measure will also establish the Executive-Legislative Social Health Insurance Crisis Commission that will carry out the necessary steps towards the reorganization of PhilHealth and contract a Transition Management Team from a private corporation or management consultancy firm to assume the implementation of the National Insurance Program under the Universal Health Care Law, she added.

"Mabigat ang krisis ngayon sa social health insurance at kailangan na natin gamitin ang expertise ng private sector para magamit nang mabuti ang perang kinakaltas sa ating mga manggagawa," Quimbo said.

In the process of reorganizing PhilHealth, Quimbo said the President may abolish or create offices under the agency, transfer functions, increase the salary of workers if necessary, impose policies instituting cost-cutting, among other measures that would help resolve the issues currently hounding the state health insurer.

This process would take place within 24 months after the approval of the act.

The lawmaker called on Congress to immediately act on her proposal and the executive branch to provide them support.

"Our primary role in times like this is to assure the public that the situation is under control and that there are sufficient funds to address the pandemic. May renal failure na ang sistema ng PhilHealth. Naghihingalo na ito dahil sa maling mga polisya tulad ng IRM. Hindi na sapat ang dialysis lang," she said.

"Transplant ang kailangan sa paggaling ng PhilHealth at ito ang susi sa paggaling din ng milyon-milyong Pilipino. Kung maayos ang pagpapatakbo, kung wasto ang computation, malaki ang maitutulong ng PhilHealth sa paglaban sa pandemyang ito," she added.

Resigned PhilHealth anti-fraud officer Thorsson Montes Keith earlier claimed that the PhilHealth "mafia," composed of the executive committee, stole some P15 billion through fraudulent schemes, including those involving the IRM.

PhilHealth, in a statement, denied the allegations.

Several PhilHealth officials, including president and CEO Ricardo Morales, have also signed a bank secrecy waiver allowing the Anti-Money Laundering Council to check their bank accounts.—AOL, GMA News