PhilHealth viable to serve needy patients

The Manila Times

PhilHealth viable to serve needy patients  Agri Rep. Wilbert Lee and former presidential candidate Leodegario 'Leody' De Guzman tells a press conference at the Club Filipino in San Juan City on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is viable enough to increase its case rates by as much as 30 percent. Lee cautioned, however, that PhilHealth should not act as an 'investment company' and should use its more than P400 billion in funds to serve needy patients.    Video by Red Mendoza  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes  #tmtnews  #philhealth

Transcript

00:00 urging PhilHealth to increase first across the board by 30% all the benefits

00:08 that we are giving to our fellow citizens.

00:11 Because if we increase the case rates one by one, we will end up with a lot of problems.

00:18 So what I said is, let's increase everything by 30%.

00:22 And I discovered that the case rates have not been adjusted since 13 years ago.

00:30 Under our UHC, the premium started from 2.75 and 0.5% every year.

00:38 It's only up to 5%.

00:40 In just 5 years, it will increase by 0.5%.

00:43 But because of the pandemic, it was suspended for 2 years.

00:46 So this year, pending the pronouncement from our president, it increased by 1% in January 2024.

00:54 That's 2.5%.

00:56 With that increase, PhilHealth will have an additional 35 billion.

01:01 So that means there's no reason why they won't increase the benefits.

01:07 But then again, you're right. I said that in a program.

01:11 We need to look at PhilHealth and increase the quality of their services.

01:18 But as members, we should also do what we should do.

01:23 But that will come in the future.

01:25 Because for now, there's a lot and enough.

01:29 PhilHealth's money is enough.

01:32 What we need to watch out for is that PhilHealth's money

01:36 should be used to increase the benefits and quality of services for our members.

01:45 Because our dream here is that PhilHealth should be like HMO for every Filipino.

01:53 Yes, for it to become HMO for Filipinos, we need to move HMOs.

02:00 Because PhilHealth doesn't act as HMO.

02:03 And of course, we know that HMOs need to be zero-balanced.

02:08 Sometimes, it's zero-balanced or sometimes, there's only a small amount that's being billed.

02:12 But PhilHealth doesn't do that.

02:14 Do you see any changes or what can you propose to PhilHealth

02:21 so that it becomes like HMO for every Filipino?

02:24 Well, first of all, you're saying that it's not becoming a no-balance billing.

02:29 For now, it should be a no-balance billing for our indigent fellow citizens.

02:36 It should be a no-balance billing.

02:38 Even for those who are not indigent, if you're in the public ward,

02:43 you shouldn't pay anything.

02:47 We need to do a lot of factors.

02:49 One of them is, why is there a no-balance billing that's not being implemented?

02:54 Even if it's a no-balance billing, there are still a lot of out-of-pocket expenses

02:58 because of the lack of medicines when it comes to the hospital,

03:02 the lack of diagnostic tests when it comes to the hospital,

03:06 the doctors' fees are too low, so the doctors don't want to accept it.

03:12 So, all of these are the issues and problems that we are solving one by one.

03:18 And I'll just go back to this, all of these are government's work.

03:22 We can't just rely on PhilHealth for all of these.

03:25 Just like the diagnostic tests that we're talking about,

03:29 our government needs to invest in this.

03:32 That's what we're fixing and working on.

03:35 Regarding what you're saying, what PhilHealth should do when the time comes,

03:40 that's what we're studying, how we can make this like an HMO.

03:46 But what I'm saying is, for now, for the next 5 to 10 years,

03:50 PhilHealth can afford their money.

03:52 They don't need to raise their fees.

03:55 This year is their last year of raising their fees.

03:58 We'll counteract if they have a move to raise their fees again after this.

04:04 We allowed this, while I personally believe that even if they don't raise their fees,

04:09 they can still afford it.

04:11 But because this is in the law, under our universal healthcare law,

04:15 that's why this was implemented, the raising of fees.

04:18 Even now, it's raised, and there will be an additional P35 billion,

04:23 they have no reason not to raise it, and they'll get more money.

04:29 Thank you.

04:30 [Silence]

04:36 [Mouse click]

04:37 [Bell ring]

04:38 [Silence]

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