PhilHealth financial ‘checkup’, cleansing before gov’t bailout – solon

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), which is currently embroiled in fresh allegations of corruption, should first undergo “thorough financial checkup and cleansing” before any government bailout, a lawmaker said.

“PhilHealth should come clean about its current financial standing and must be willing to go through a cleansing process to rid the agency of corrupt officials and employees prior to any government bailout,” Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera said in a statement on Sunday.

In a Senate investigation into alleged irregularities within the state-run health insurance company last Tuesday, PhilHealth acting Senior Vice President Nerissa Santiago said the state health insurer could “collapse” by 2022 if the COVID-19 pandemic persists.

Thus, an additional subsidy from the government is needed for it to “survive” in the coming years.

In response, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government is ready to provide funding to ensure the survival of PhilHealth, which is tasked with implementing the Universal Health Care (UHC) law.

Herrera, one of the authors of the UHC law, welcomed the government’s assurance, saying it would help “allay concerns that the corruption scandal and funding problems hounding PhilHealth would delay the law’s implementation.”

“We cannot afford any delay in the implementation of the law, which guarantees equitable access to quality and affordable health care services for all Filipinos,” she said.

But the lawmaker stressed that PhilHealth should not be provided additional funding unless “meaningful changes” are enforced to ensure that it can effectively fulfill its mandate and tasks under the UHC law.

PhilHealth has recently found itself in the thick of congressional investigations into alleged anomalies in the agency.

Senators earlier grilled PhilHealth officials over a proposed P2.1-billion information technology project, which state auditors earlier flagged as overpriced, the supposedly questionable release of funds under the corporation’s Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) and the alleged manipulation of the corporation’s financial status.

A recently resigned PhilHealth anti-fraud officer also claimed that a mafia-like syndicate operating in the agency allegedly pocketed P15 billion through various schemes.

Given the circumstances, Herrera said the government must condition any emergency funding on “greater transparency, accountability and efficiency” to ensure that PhilHealth does not find itself in a similar situation in the future.

“PhilHealth should not be provided additional funding unless meaningful changes are implemented to ensure it can effectively fulfill its mandate and tasks under the UHC law,” she added.

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