MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Health Insurance Corp. on Friday insisted that the alleged impending closure of about 300 hospitals is not solely due to “delayed payments,” as claimed by the Philippine Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PHAPi).
PHAPi, an association of 744 member private hospitals, earlier alleged that PhilHealth owed its members P14 billion as of December 2018, and an additional P4 billion in 2019, prompting Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez to call on the state insurer to settle its due.
In a statement, PhilHealth said it has already paid a total of P114.6 billion to accredited hospitals in 2018, and P97.4 billion in 2019. Meanwhile for 2020, the agency has so far disbursed over P43 billion, of which P24.5 billion were paid to private hospitals.
“The economic losses brought about by the pandemic have taken its toll in the overall business climate in the country, which also affects hospitals that reel from the sharp decrease in patient admissions due to COVID scare,” said PhilHealth.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE ALLEGED UNPAID CLAIMS TO PRIVATE HOSPITALS
RAISED IN A RESOLUTION IN CONGRESSThe resolution submitted in the lower chamber contains issues that have been adequately responded to previously. PhilHealth reiterates..
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— PhilHealth (@teamphilhealth) June 19, 2020
“However, this should not be attributed solely to allegedly unpaid claims to a point of exhuming an old issue that is now being seriously addressed by the agency,” it added.
PhilHealth assured that it is looking for ways to fast-track the process and pay hospital claims within 60 days.
It is also designating accounts reconciliation officers to “support the hospitals in claims records reconciliation, the solution agreed upon with the PHAPi.”
The state insurer urges the hospitals to reconcile their claims with records with their regional offices to keep themselves of the status of their claims.