Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (2nd from left) during a press conference on Tuesday. (Photo by Ma. Teresa Montemayor)
MANILA -- Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Tuesday appealed to stakeholders of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) not to engage in any activity that would defraud its system.
In a press briefing, Duque said there are many ways by which health care providers and professionals could get money from PhilHealth, apart from "phantom claims".
"There's multiple filing of claims, inappropriate treatment or procedures done which aren't stated in the medical guidelines. For example, you'll be asked to sign your medical records, which state you've used 60 antibiotics when in reality it's just six. Are you going to sign your records? Are you going to give in if you'll be asked to pretend that you're sick with pneumonia in exchange (for) a bag of groceries?" he added.
Stressing that PhilHealth funds are from the people's taxes and members' direct contributions, Duque said its services are not for the benefit of a few people but for all Filipinos.
"Let us not abuse the government's programs. We'll lose in the end if we do so. I ask everyone, doctors, health care providers, let us work together to clean the system, fix the credibility of PhilHealth," he said.
Duque reported that President Rodrigo Duterte is looking into the challenges confronting PhilHealth and that "he's contemplating on bringing in experts from SGV (Sycip, Gorres, and Velayo) to audit its operating and management systems."
"He (Duterte) expects that the letters of resignation will be in before the end of the day. He said he's giving himself 10 days to study this and we made presentations to the President regarding the phantom claims. We're still trying to verify if it's the acting president and chief executive officer, and six other appointees to the presidential board were instructed to tender their courtesy resignation," he added.
Senator Richard Gordon, who was also at the press briefing, said he is devastated by the issue and that he will keep track of its improvements.
"This is very serious. We request help from the government for the people and when the government responds, we cheat the system. There's something really wrong there. Have (we) lost our moral compass?" Gordon said. (PNA)
