PhilHealth to shell out P931M for health facilities in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY –– The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) in Bicol said on Friday it was spending P931 million worth of financial assistance to health facilities in the region to ensure a better response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Leri Ilagan, PhilHealth Bicol spokesperson, said the fund would serve as an interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) to assist 56 accredited public and private hospitals across the region.

Ilagan said under the mechanism,  PhilHealth offices nationwide would release fund assistance equivalent to three months’ worth of claim to accredited hospitals based on historical data and would be charged to future claims.

To avail of this, hospitals would be asked to accomplish a “letter of intent,” she said.

PhilHealth Bicol has initially released on Thursday P351 million worth of financial assistance to 11 public and private hospitals, which includes the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital in Legazpi City, Bicol Medical Center in Naga City, and the Bicol Sanitarium in Pasacao in Camarines Sur.

All three hospitals were designated COVID-19 quarantine facilities.

The government health insurance has poured some P30 billion worth of assistance to hundreds of health facilities through the IRM to assist hospitals to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

Edited by LZB