PhilHealth insists IRM is ‘legal, necessary’ for COVID-19 response

MANILA, Philippines — Despite already being suspended, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on Friday maintained that its interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) was “legal and necessary” for the country’s COVID-19 response.

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PhilHealth, in a statement posted on its Facebook page, also assured that COVID-19 inpatient benefits will continue to be enjoyed by its affected members.

“PhilHealth clarifies the following: IRM suspended to review the overall implementation and resolve issues arising from Congressional inquiries,” PhilHealth’s statement read.

“[PhilHealth] [m]aintains IRM is legal and necessary for the country’s overall Covid-19 response, it added. “Regular COVID-19 inpatient benefits, testing and community isolation packages shall continue to be enjoyed by its affected members.”

IRM is an emergency cash advance measure of PhilHealth to provide hospitals with an emergency fund to respond to natural disasters, calamities as well as other unexpected events.

The state health insurer on Thursday announced the suspension of the IRM after several senators called for its temporary halt amid allegations that the release of funds for the country’s coronavirus response was marred with irregularities.

During Tuesday’s Senate hearing into the PhilHealth mess, PhilHealth official Atty. Roberto Labe Jr. said that the state insurer has so far released P14.971 billion of the P30-billion IRM fund to over 700 health care institutions (HCIs).

EDV