PhilHealth to recommend premium contribution rate cut to Marcos
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) President Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. said they would recommend to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the reduction of PhilHealth premium contribution rates.
At the Senate committee on health’s Tuesday hearing, Ledesma said they would raise their recommendation as soon as possible.
“Especially after this very nice hearing that just happened. We will do it immediately as early as this afternoon. I will convene our team and we will recommend for a reduction in the premium contribution rates to President Marcos, immediately,” said Ledesma after he was asked by Senator Bong Go whether or not PhilHealth would recommend the said reduction.
For his part, panel head Go said this would really help Filipinos, noting the importance of every peso.
“Mabigat po ang kontribusyon na ‘yan. Tapos makikita nila may natitira pang balanse,” said Go.
(That contribution is a burden for some. Then they will see that they still have a balance.)
The matter was brought up after it was revealed during the hearing that PhilHealth has an existing P500 billion reserve fund.
“Hindi maintindihan ng ordinaryong Pilipino po ‘yun na meron kayong pondo na P500 billion tapos ito, naghahanap pa sila ng tulong mula sa iba’t-iba. Dalawa lang ‘yan — taasan niyo ‘yung tulong niyo… then pag-aralan natin dito sa Senado, nandyan na ‘yung bill — for interpellation na — yung irereduce o isususpend [muna] ang pag-increase ng contribution,” said Go.
(Any ordinary Filipino wouldn’t understand why you have a P500 billion reserve fund and then they will still find help from others. There are only two solutions to this — increase the help you provide and then let us study it here in the Senate — the bill is already there and it’s already for interpellation — the reduction of suspension of the increase in contribution.)
READ: PhilHealth members’ contribution hikes to 5% this 2024
In January, PhilHealth announced that its members’ premium contribution will increase from four percent to five percent in 2024.
The increase is in line with the Universal Health Care (UHC) law, according to Ledesma.
