PhilHealth to recommend cut in contribution rates

MANILA, Philippines — After getting rapped for having unused funds that the government has impounded, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. is eyeing to recommend to President Marcos a reduction in the contributions of PhilHealth members.

PhilHealth president and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. revealed the plan at yesterday’s hearing of the Senate committee on health and demography on the state health insurer’s unused fund of P89.9 billion.

Ledesma made the pronouncement in response to questioning by panel chair Sen. Bong Go.

“When will you recommend to the President to lower the PhilHealth fee or premium? Would you recommend it?” Go asked, to which Ledesma replied: “Actually, yes, we will, especially after this very nice hearing that just happened, we will do it immediately.”

“As early as this afternoon I will convene our team and we will recommend a reduction in the premium rates and contribution rates to President Marcos. Immediately, to answer your question,” Ledesma said.

Go said it is painful for ordinary Filipinos to realize that they’ve been paying high premiums for health insurance even as PhilHealth is awash in cash.

“It is unacceptable that there are funds there that are not being used to help every Filipino who is a member of PhilHealth...Why should the P90 billion be returned? Why are PhilHealth benefits still lacking? Why do some patients have to pawn possessions in order to pay their hospital bills? There are people who can’t leave the hospital because they can’t pay,” Go said.

At the hearing, Sen. Raffy Tulfo also criticized PhilHealth for having unused funds, which could be used for better health benefit coverage.

“Before you return the money, think about what the money can be used for. It shows that you are incompetent, you are not doing your job well. You don’t have a strategy and you don’t think,” Tulfo said.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said she was alarmed by the Department of Finance’s insisting that PhilHealth return the money, even though it is clear in the Universal Health Care (UHC) program that no funds for medical benefits should be rechanneled to the general fund of the government.

“So alarming, Mr. Chair, that the national government, through a