PhilHealth owes gov't hospitals P14.8 billion in unpaid claims

MANILA, Philippines — Government hospitals are still awaiting P14.8 billion in unpaid claims from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday, September 4.

Of this amount, about 45% or P6.7 billion has been overdue for at least two years. 

During the DOH's 12-hour budget hearing, lawmakers raised concerns about the lack of medical materials in government hospitals, which often forces patients to pay for needed supplies elsewhere. Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa revealed that the delays in PhilHealth payments are a key factor contributing to these shortages.

“I have 87 hospitals under my wing and the total [amount of] things that I’m billing PhilHealth for is P14,864,894,065.02. That is the amount we are waiting to be paid,” Herbosa said.  

DOH explained that hospitals enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with companies that could provide the medical supplies they need. However, Herbosa said that suppliers will withhold delivery of these materials if payments are delayed. 

“And that is why it is so important that PhilHealth pays immediately to the government hospitals as the payments from PhilHealth are delayed,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

“Parang pinautang nila sa hospital yun for our indigent patients and we’re waiting for our cash, [but] our cash never comes. So, ang sasabihin ng consignee ay ‘Hindi kami magdedeliver.’ Ngayon, sasabihin sa pasyente na ‘Bumili ka doon sa nagsusupply ng bakal,’” he added.

(It’s like they put the burden on the hospital to pay for our indigent patients, and we’re waiting for the payment, but it never arrives. So, the supplier says, “We won't deliver.” Now, the patient is told, “You need to buy from the supplier.”)

If they have the money at hand to pay their consignees, Herbosa said that government hospitals would not run out of supplies. In turn, indigent and financially incapacitated patients would not have to experience delays in receiving medical care or be forced to seek alternatives due to shortages. 

According to PhilHealth’s President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., the national health insurer has already paid hospitals around