PhilHealth to settle unpaid hospital claims

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has assured private hospitals that it would settle the reimbursements for medical services that PhilHealth member beneficiaries had availed themselves of, according to Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go.

Go, who heads the Senate health committee, said he arranged a meeting on Thursday between PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales and Rustico Jimenez, president of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAP), after the latter warned that their members wanted to terminate their accreditation from the state health insurer because of unpaid monetary claims.

The senator said Morales clarified that PhilHealth was just being cautious in approving the payments in the wake of recent allegations of fund misuse involving corrupt PhilHealth officials and owners of certain health care companies.

“They (Morales and Jimenez) discussed the details of the issue,” Go said in a text message to the Inquirer on Saturday.

“I understand the demand for payment of the hospitals. My only concern is that the patients might be affected. The delivery of medical services should not be hampered [by this],” he said in a separate statement.

Go said he was willing to sit down again with them to determine the amount that PhilHealth should immediately pay to PHAP members.