House panels call for ‘withdrawal’ of funds from PhilHealth’s IRM
MANILA, Philippines — Two House committees have recommended the withdrawal of funds at the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s (PhilHealth) interim refund mechanism (IRM) amid the alleged anomalies hounding the agency.
During the joint hybrid hearing of the House committee on public accounts and the committee on good government and public accountability on Monday, Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo was grilling PhilHealth officials over the use of IRM funds given to healthcare facilities.
IRM is an emergency cash advance measure of PhilHealth to provide hospitals with an emergency fund to respond to natural disasters, calamities as well as other unexpected events — such as the coronavirus pandemic.
In her interpellation, Quimbo asked PhilHealth Senior Vice President Renato Limsiaco Jr. if healthcare facilities can also use IRM funds for other purposes such as purchasing of supplies and salary for their employees.
Limsiaco replied on the affirmative.
“So in other words, ‘yan ay talagang within the control of the hospital. Ibig sabihin, Hindi lang para sa claims kundi pwede nila yang gamitin for their operating expenses?” Quimbo said.
“So in other words, so far, halimbawa, nag-release ng P100 million tapos ang claim so far ay P10 million. Ang balanse na P90M ay puwedeng gamitin ng ospital yan for other purposes katulad ng pasweldo ng kanilang empleyado?” the lawmaker stressed, to which the PhilHealth official also responded on the affirmative.
A baffled Quimbo then reminded PhilHealth officials that they are an insurance agency, so insurance funds should only cover claims and not other expenses.
“Kaya pala tayo nagkaka-problema dito, Mr Chair! Dahil talagang halos walang control ang paggamit ng pondo galing sa IRM,” Quimbo said.
“Ako ay nagulat na napaka-liberal po ng paggamit ng IRM dahil ang alam natin kayo ay insurance fund, hindi naman kayo nagpapautang sa ospital. Kayo ay insurance fund so dapat ang pinopondohan niyo lang po ay insurance claims,” she added.
A few minutes later, Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Mike Defensor, who chairs the House committee on public accounts, chimed in to move that the two committees “resolve to call for a suspension and to stop any payment and to withdraw all funds in the IRM.”
For his part, Bulacan 1st District Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability, pointed out that the use of IRM funds is not necessarily bad since if used properly, it would be of help for small hospitals.
However, Sy-Alvarado said that the supposed “abuse” in the use of IRM funds calls for the suspension of its release.
The motion was eventually adopted.
“Ang sense of the committee based on the motion that we approved is that we suspend the release—kasi mayroon pa silang remaining P15 billion pending—and to withdraw whatever is there,” Defensor said.
Following the approval of the motion, Deputy Speaker Dan Fernandez clarified that the committees are calling for the liquidation of the P14.9 billion IRM funds advanced by PhilHealth to healthcare facilities and to put on hold the additional P15 billion unreleased IRM funds.
PhilHealth has insisted that its IRM was “legal and necessary” for the country’s COVID-19 response.
Nonetheless, the state health insurer on Thursday announced the suspension of the IRM after several senators called for its temporary halt amid allegations that the release of funds for the country’s coronavirus response was marred with irregularities.
