Increased benefits for PhilHealth members 'doable,' ex-DOH chief says

Iloilo Representative and former Health Secretary Janette Garin on Thursday said that expanding the coverage of benefits for Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) members is "doable."

“Doable talaga at dapat taasan ‘yung coverage doon sa mga sakit na pwedeng mag pahirap sayo,” Garin said in a press briefing.

(It’s really doable and the coverage should really be increased, especially for illnesses that could make you poor.)

As an example, Garin cited the expenses incurred by the treatment of cancer, saying these should be addressed by PhilHealth.

“So, unang-una, yes we need to increase the coverage of PhilHealth on a per illness factor. Mali po ang ginawa ng mga case rates,” she said.

(So, first of all, yes, we need to increase the coverage of PhilHealth on a per illness factor. The PhilHealth case rates are wrong.)

“Pero dapat din tanggalin ‘yung mga packages na hindi dapat covered ng insurance mechanism, na dapat po hina-handle ng Department of Health (DOH),” she added.

(PhilHealth should also remove the packages that should not be covered by the insurance mechanism, those that should be handled by the DOH.)

Aside from this, Garin said PhilHealth should also decrease its administrative costs.

“Kasi marami naman talagang mga meetings na pwedeng gawin, ngayon lalo na’t may Zoom ka. Andodoon rin po kasi ‘yung— we really need to curb fraud kasi doon nga napupunta ‘yung panggastos sa mga totoong nag kakasakit,” she said.

(There are many meetings that can now be done online. And we also need to curb fraud because that is where the expenses for those getting sick go.)

Earlier, Speaker Martin Romualdez called for a congressional review of PhilHealth’s charter so that PhilHealth can at least cover 50% of the cost of treatment in private hospitals, as well as provide free medical examinations for the detection of deadly diseases such as cancer. 

“PhilHealth should function akin to a health maintenance organization (HMO), focusing its resources on safeguarding the health of the populace rather than investing in commercial banks and bonds. With substantial annual allocations from Congress and regular contributions from private employees, there is no excuse for PhilHealth to scrimp on coverage,” Romualdez previously said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News