PhilHealth remains stable despite absence of 2025 budget

The Manila Times

PhilHealth remains stable despite absence of 2025 budget  Philippine Health Insurance Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ledesma, Senior Vice President Renato Limsiaco and PhilHealth Executive Vice President Eli Dino Santos assure the public in a press briefing at the PhilHealth head office in Pasig City on Jan. 10, 2025 that despite the zero subsidy given to the state health insurer in this year's budget, it will be able to increase its case rates, introduce new benefits to its members aside from providing continuous service. PhilHealth spokesman Dr. Israel Pargas also said that state insurer would study a proposal on how to cover patients needing liver transplant following a 'marching order' from Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.  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  Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters   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  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #themanilatimes #worldnews #philhealth #health

Transcript

00:00Yes, Red Mendoza, Manila Times. I'll just ask, of course, we all know the new benefits and the expanded benefits. Of course, the big question of our countrymen is the funds or the ability of PhilHealth to pay these new benefits.

00:18Once and for all, can we assure our public, our countrymen, that the funds of PhilHealth are sufficient, enough, even there is no subsidy given in the 2035 budget to make these benefits. And how are we assured that these benefits will continue even after 2025 and beyond?

00:48With zero subsidy, the benefit packages of PhilHealth will not be affected. In fact, it will be added and we can assure you that the services and the increases of benefits of PhilHealth will continue.

01:18Can I ask SBP Lim Siaco to explain more details. Thank you.

01:48Part of that one is the government securities and portion is in our special savings deposit. This P42B, if we look and remember, as of December 31, 2023, the investment portfolio of PhilHealth is P298B.

02:08So more or less, our investment portfolio is the same. There is a differential of P6. This means that the funds of PhilHealth are sufficient to cover whatever benefit payment we issued in the year 2025.

02:38This P271 is what we will use for the benefit expenses, what will be included together with the increase in benefit packages. And if the corporation lacks, it will request additional budget if needed from our board to meet our needs.

03:06So again, as mentioned by the President, the funds of PhilHealth for the year 2025 are sufficient to cover our health facilities that are providing the health care services to our members, including the expansion and the new benefits that were explained this morning. Thank you very much.

03:29I just want to ask, because yesterday, during the partnership launch with the Rizal Medical Center and the Medical City, Secretary Herbosa gave a speech that he wants to explore the possibility of a transplant to PhilHealth. Is there a marching order for Secretary Herbosa? Because he said that he will study with the Rizal Medical Center.

03:55Well, actually, he doesn't have a marching order, but we also have received a request already from the National Kidney Transplant Institute because they are also handling the liver transplant for us to develop a package for that. So there is also a request from NKTI for that.

04:12But it's not open to the Rizal Medical Center and the Medical City. It's just a partnership. But he said that he has a marching order from Dr. Rika Lumague to study the possible case rate. Because he said that it's not appropriate for our liver transplants to go abroad.

04:32Yes, yes. Since we are doing it right now and because there are already requests. But we are not, of course, limiting our consultation and collaboration with just one hospital. But for everyone who can actually help us develop a better benefit for the liver transplant, yes, we will do so.

05:02Well, that's why we have aggressively increased all our benefits right now. And yes, almost all of our case rates, initially in February, we increased it by 30%.

05:27Now, at the end of December, we released a policy for another 50% starting January 1 admissions. Now, we are also implementing the universal health care policy, which is the no copayment.

05:42That if the patient would opt to be admitted in a ward or basic accommodation, not only in government, but also in private hospitals, they should be afforded with a no copayment rule. But of course, if we will choose to be admitted in a private, in a room with amenities, we are also ready that we might have to pay a copayment.

06:07But what we are also studying right now is to make sure also that we can provide a better financial protection for those who will be admitted in private rooms. So, that's what we mentioned earlier, we are looking at the copayment policy, particularly a fixed copayment. So that if you will be admitted in a private room, you will not be charged too much, but rather we will set a fixed copayment.

06:33Do you have a timeline for that?

06:36For now, we are just studying it. So, I cannot say when it will be released, but we are already studying it. And of course, we started with a no copayment.

06:46Sir, what is your reaction?

Category

Transcript

Recommended