Duterte: PhilHealth being ‘careful,’ ‘can’t move faster’ in paying hospital claims

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) president Dante Gierran is being “careful” in the payment of hospital claims that’s why he “cannot move faster” than he wants to, President Rodrigo Duterte said.

“Alam mo, yung chairman ng PhilHealth ngayon is a former NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] director. Para maunahan ko na, he is also a fraternity brother. Tinanong ko sya, pinatawag ko, bakit mahina ka?” Duterte said in a taped address aired Tuesday, referring to PhilHealth president Dante Gierran.

(You know what, the PhilHealth chairman now is a former NBI director. I’ll say it now; he is also a fraternity brother. I asked him, why are you weak?)

“Sabi niya, ‘Alam mo kasi  itong trabaho na ito sir, papel ito. Resibo ng mga medisina, resibo ng bayaran, resibo ng admission, resibo ng pag-alis ng ospital.’ Sabi nya, ‘I have to be careful. Sabi nya, ‘NBI ako sir e. I cannot move faster than how they want it to be because I have to be very careful considering what happened to PhilHealth,’” he added.

(He told me, “You know what, this job is all about papers. Receipts of medicine, receipts of expenses, receipt of hospital admissions.” He told me, “I have to be very careful because I was from the NBI.  I cannot move faster than how they want it to be because I have to be very careful considering what happened to PhilHealth.”)

Earlier, Gierran vowed that the state insurer would settle 60 percent of the P21 billion worth of unpaid claims to hospitals by this week.

Gierran had also decried the criticisms PhilHealth has received over the unpaid hospital claims , saying they are already “beat up.”