The Cebu Provincial Capitol. (PNA file photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY – A member of the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) on Tuesday urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to stop its alleged massive and indiscriminate releases of subsidies to prevent depleting funds from the state insurance firm.
Board Member Glenn Anthony Soco, who represents Cebu’s 6th District in the PB, said PhilHealth should “seriously reconsider” giving out coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) community isolation benefit packages to isolation units and other coverage like free swab testing.
He said if indiscriminate releases of subsidies “continue for several more months, it is so easy to lose the gains painstakingly earned after numerous years of work.”
“The expeditious depletion of the funds due to the increase in its funding release because of demands caused (because of) Covid-19 infections would result in other illnesses and diseases likewise covered under PhilHealth to be deprived of its necessary funding,” Soco told the Philippine News Agency in a message on Tuesday.
Soco said patients who are needing dialysis, radiotheraphies, hemodialysis, cancer treatment and care, rehabilitation, are the ones facing the risk considering that their regular treatments necessitate budgetary requirements from PhilHealth.
Under Republic Act 11223, the Universal Health Care Law, all citizens are automatically entitled to PhilHealth benefits, including comprehensive outpatient services.
In this law, PhilHealth will be responsible for purchasing all individual-based services, including supplies, medicines, and commodities, as well as maintenance and operating expense of health facilities.
The agency's push for the implementation of premium contribution hike for its members has been suspended by Malacañang for six months because of the pandemic.
He expected the agency’s difficulties in sustaining benefit payments for its members if the suspension continues.
“This is after its officers revealed that the state-run insurer will run out of funds by year 2022 as it projected massive losses in 2020 and 2021. The agency which used to have an actuarial life of more than 10 years before the pandemic has for today an actuarial life of merely a year. In fact, should the pandemic persist, it projects an operating loss of at least PHP147 billion in 2021,” he added.
Soco said indiscriminate releases of PhilHealth subsidies would “result to negligence of each one’s personal and social obligation to follow directives by the government” in relation to the pandemic.
On Monday, the PB approved Soco’s resolution urging the PhilHealth to reconsider its program which may lead to depletion of the state’s insurer’s funds. (PNA)
