DOH: PhilHealth benefits, services to remain despite zero subsidy
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Friday assured Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) members that they can continue using all inpatient, outpatient, and special benefit packages despite the agency having zero subsidies for 2025.
According to DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, who is also the chairperson of the PhilHealth Board, it was PhilHealth’s job to pay for the health benefits of its members whether or not they get funding from the General Appropriations Act.
“Binasa namin ang financial statements ng PhilHealth kasama ang napag-alamang performance nito, at kumpiyansa ang DOH na mayroon itong sapat na pera para ipagpatuloy at pagandahin pa ang kaniyang operasyon,” Herbosa said in a statement.
(We read the financial statement of PhilHealth along with its performance, and the DOH is confident that it has enough funds to continue and improve its operations.)
Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday said that PhilHealth will get zero subsidy in 2025 due to its P600 billion reserve funds. She also said that the agency’s budget is among the contentious provisions of the 2025 budget bill.
READ: PhilHealth has zero subsidy for 2025 due to P600B reserve funds
Article continues after this advertisement“May kumpiyansa ang DOH na may cash on hand ang PhilHealth para magpatuloy at mapabuti pa ang paghahatid ng benepisyo sa susunod na dalawa hanggang tatlong taon,” the health bureau said in the same statement.
Article continues after this advertisement(The DOH is confident that PhilHealth has cash on hand to continue and improve its services for the next two to three years.)
The DOH also reported that total benefit expenditures in 2023 were P74 billion, while expenditures from January to September 2024 reached P135 billion. It added that the agency earned P463.7 billion in 2023.
Meanwhile, PhilHealth denied allegations that it had allocated P138 million for a Christmas party, saying that the funds were intended for its 30th anniversary celebration.
Dr. Tony Leachon, in his original Facebook post, published a list of supposed Christmas party activities and expenditures and said that PhilHealth’s leadership team was “abusive” for not spending the funds wisely.
However, the agency also said that the approved activities are “reasonable, budgeted following existing limits set by the government.”
READ: PhilHealth: P138M allocation for 2025 anniversary, not Christmas party
