Duque: PhilHealth registered 87% of Philippine population

Eighty seven percent of the country's population has been registered with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Tuesday.

"The short answer there is about 87, 88%... So, the balance there is the one that’s remained uncovered," Duque said when asked for the percentage of 109 million Filipinos who have PhilHealth coverage.

On further questioning, PhilHealth’s Acting Vice President Lemuel Untalan said around 22 million were subsidized PhilHealth members.

"Right now po ‘yung proposal namin sa P71 billion fund for this year is about 22 million Filipinos po, members.  So 'yun po 'yung subsidized sa population," Untalan said, adding that if their dependents are included, it could reach at least 50 million Filipinos.

(At present, our proposal for the P71 billion fund for this year is about 22 million Filipinos. Those were the ones subsidized by the government.)

"Right now po ‘yung current sa database namin na sinisingil sa DBM (Department of Budget and Management), ‘yun po ay ‘yung lahat ng listado, ibig sabihin po listado mayroong PhilHealth identification number," he added.

(Those in our database that we are getting funds from DBM were all listed, by listed, we mean those with a PhilHealth identification number.)

The said panel conducted a discussion about updates on the implementation of Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act as well as on PhilHealth's circular on the temporary suspension of claims payments. —NB, GMA News