Duque told: Scrap IRM, case rate system

MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III should scrap Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s case rate system and recall all its cash advances to hospitals under PhilHealth’s interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM).

Anakalusugan Rep. Michael Defensor described the case rate system as the “root of all evil and corruption in PhilHealth,” with IRM as its “offspring.”

Case rates refer to the fixed amount that PhilHealth releases to reimburse hospitals that treated insured patients for specific illnesses.

—DJ Yap