Roque: PhilHealth did not stop paying WellMed for ‘ghost’ dialysis treatments

MANILA, Philippines — It is not true that PhilHealth has already stopped paying Quezon City-based WellMed Clinic despite learning of its alleged “ghost” dialysis treatments, lawyer Harry Roque said Tuesday.

Roque is the legal counsel of two former employees of WellMed Dialysis Center, Edwin Roberto and Liezel Santos, who earlier exposed the clinic’s alleged “ghost dialysis” scam.

“It’s not true that they have stopped paying WellMed as of February this year. I have data, I have screenshots of PhilHealth computer itself showing that they have been paid until June,” Roque said in an interview over ABS CBN News Channel.

“In other words, they are being paid until this exposé,” he added.

Roque also questioned the efficiency by which the PhilHealth management addressed cases of alleged fraudulent claims, citing a “long, convoluted” process in addressing the corporation’s problems.

“Why, for instance, did it take so long for them to revoke the accreditation of WellMed? The whistleblowers went to them in July. It’s an administrative procedure, it should be fast,” Roque pointed out.

“Yet today they are accredited one year later, so do you call that efficient?,” he added.

Last week, the Philippine Daily Inquirer bared that WellMed filed “ghost” dialysis treatment claims with PhilHealth.

The clinic allegedly filed and received payments from PhilHealth for dialysis treatments of already deceased patients.

READ: PhilHealth pays for ghost kidney treatments

In the wake of the controversy, President Rodrigo Duterte directed PhilHealth president Roy Ferrer and the agency’s board members to submit their courtesy resignations.  (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)

READ: PhilHealth execs asked to submit courtesy resignation over dialysis mess