Cayetano, Recto doubt actuarial life of PhilHealth would be over in 2022

At least two senators doubted PhilHealth's previous claim that its actuarial life may run out in 2022 due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as they tried to do the math during the Senate budget deliberations on Wednesday night.

It can be recalled that in August, PhilHealth's acting Senior Vice President Nerissa Santiago actuarial life is down to one year from more than 10 years because of  "decreased collections" and an "expected increase in benefit payouts" caused by the pandemic.

"I have my reservations... If you look at all the income that can come in including the PCSO, the PAGCOR, the sin tax, and then you look at the projected cost... I cannot tell you that I support the conclusion that they have that the fund will run out by 2022," said Senator Pia Cayetano as she sponsored the P212.7 billion budget for the Department of Health (DOH) and its attached agencies.

"They may be right, they may be wrong but I don't have the complete numbers to give you the complete response," she added.

Further, she added that the payouts for both COVID and non-COVID cases this year is also lower than the PhilHealth payments made in 2019.

"The projection for 2020 payout is at P177 billion. However, for July which is seven months into the year 2020, it's at P90 billion. So, sabi ko five months nalang naman matitira... that should only be about P140 billion not P170 billion. So that's P30 billion extra that I cannot account for," Cayetano said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said the state health insurer also has P138 billion in its reserve fund.

"Paano mauubos eh kung hindi nga COVID ang tao hindi pumupunta sa ospital eh. Tapos sa COVID 'yun palang ang nagagastos nila. Paano mauubos? Mauubusan ka pag ninakaw 'yan, frankly speaking," he said.

The senators asked if PhilHealth President Dante Gierran is present in the session hall to answer. Cayetano said she was informed that he was online.

In the end, the Senate decided to hold the submission of PhilHealth's P71.35 billion budget to the plenary with the hopes that its officials would be able to provide them with the data they need before the period of debates for the budget bill closes this Friday. -- BAP, GMA News