PhilHealth chief sees liquidation of ‘missing’ P15-B done by March

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. aims to finish liquidation of the entire P15 billion in funds allegedly lost due to corruption by March 31, its president Dante Gierran said on Monday.

“Sa ngayon, meron nang 94 percent ang tinatawag na liquidation doon sa IRM [Interim Reimbursement Mechanism] o advanced payment ng PhilHealth sa healthcare institutions,” Gierran said in a televised briefing.

(Right now, we have liquidated 94 percent under the IRM or advance payment of PhilHealth to healthcare institutions.)

“Siguro before the end of March, palagay ko baka 100 percent na po yan,” he added.

(Perhaps by the end of March, I think we’ll be able to liquidate 100 percent of that.)

READ: PhilHealth: 94% of P15 billion ’stolen’ funds liquidated 

PhilHealth officials have been accused of pocketing some P15 billion through the controversial IRM.

READ: ‘PhilHealth mafia’ pocketed P15-B worth of funds, says ex-anti-fraud exec

But PhilHealth has insisted that cash advances for the IRM were not lost to corrupt officials.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, meanwhile, questioned PhilHealth’s liquidation of funds saying it does not mean that it was “legally disbursed.”

READ: Liquidated PhilHealth funds don’t mean it’s ‘legally disbursed’ – Lacson

ac