An agency promotion poster greets patients at Rizal Medical Center in Pasig City. — INQUIRER PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — A health advocate on Wednesday warned that the proposed zero subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) would result in the non-implementation of the agency’s Konsulta package, which provides preventive healthcare services to Filipinos.
This was bared by Dr. Juan Antonio Perez during the Senate panel on health’s hearing.
“The effect of this zero [subsidy] is we will not have a Konsulta package, not in the near future,” he said in Filipino.
Due to its P600-billion reserve funds, PhilHealth will be getting zero subsidy for 2025.
Later into the hearing, Perez said health advocates wanted to know when the Konsulta package would be rolled out.
“That will require P194 billion every year because it’s an annual package. So the removal of PhilHealth’s funds in line with their subsidy will affect this,” he said.
Perez also said that while they don’t want politicians to interfere with Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients and Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients, some patients allegedly do rounds within the offices in the House of Representatives and the Senate to ask for a “guarantee letter.”
This was slammed by Sen. Bong Go, who was presiding over the hearing as panel chair.
“Just like I said, if PhilHealth’s budget is high and if their benefits are enough, patients would no longer have to beg because it will be covered by PhilHealth already,” Go said in Filipino.
PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. said the agency would continue to pay for the health benefits of all Filipinos despite the bicameral conference committee’s recent decision not to provide PhilHealth with government subsidy for 2025.
“With or without government subsidy, it is our goal to finance the best care and benefits available,” he said.
“Our financial position is strong and sufficient to sustain our operations. With the total of P281 in reserves and P150 billion in surplus funds as of October 2024. On the other hand, our investment portfolio as of November 2024 already reached P489 billion,” he added.
READ: PhilHealth has zero subsidy for 2025 due to P600B reserve funds