PhilHealth urged anew to pay hospitals

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) must act now and settle its unpaid obligations from public and private hospitals across the country in order to avert an impending crisis in the delivery of health services to the public, Sen. Grace Poe said on Tuesday.

Poe expressed alarm over reports of a number of hospitals that have disengaged with PhilHealth, which, she said, are signs of the storm that is hounding the system.

“PhilHealth should no longer waste time on immediately settling its obligations with hospitals, for the sake of preserving a healthy climate in the government’s efforts to look after the welfare of its citizens,” she said.

Poe was reacting to reports of hospitals in Iloilo province that were cutting ties with PhilHealth over more than P545 million in unpaid claims, vowing not to renew their accreditation starting next year.

On Dec. 12, the heads of the Iloilo Directors’ Hospital, The Medical City-Iloilo, Metro Medicus Medical Center, Iloilo Hospital and Medical Center Inc., St. Paul’s Hospital of Iloilo, Qualimed Hospital-Iloilo and Iloilo Mission Hospital all said they had decided not to renew their accreditation with PhilHealth following a failed reconciliation process.