Pay private hospital claims, Palace to PhilHealth

MANILA – Malacañang on Monday appealed to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to pay the claims of private hospitals, emphasizing that failure to do so would “significantly” affect the country’s healthcare system amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark after hospitals and physicians organizations announced their decision to disengage from PhilHealth over its circular suspending payments to hospitals and healthcare providers whose claims are under investigation.

“Itong banta nila na sila ay titigil na magbigay ng serbisyo at mag-disengage sa PhilHealth (This threat to stop providing services and to disengage from PhilHealth)…that has the potential of derailing the Universal Health Care. At bilang author po ng batas na iyan, hindi po tayo papayag (And as the author of that law, I will not allow it),” he said in a press briefing in SM City San Mateo.

Roque, the primary author of Republic Act (RA) 11223 or the Universal Health Care Law (UHC) Law in the 17th Congress, reminded the state insurer of their mandate.

“Ang panawagan ko po sa PhilHealth, magbayad kayo ng dapat bayaran. Dahil as author of the law, the intent of the law, is kayo po, ang gobyerno through PhilHealth (My appeal to the PhilHealth is to pay what needs to be paid. Because as the author of the law, the law intends that the government, through PhilHealth), will become the sole purchaser of all goods and services,” he added.

He emphasized the need for PhilHealth to “cooperate”, noting that a lack of funds is not an acceptable excuse.

“I reiterate kinakailangan magkaroon ng kooperasyon, ang PhilHealth magbayad ng mas mabilis (There should be cooperation, the PhilHealth needs to pay immediately),” he said.

While he acknowledged that there may be anomalous claims, he said they simply needed to be investigated instead of suspended.

“Hindi kakayaning ma-implement ang Universal Health Care ng pang-gobyernong hospital lamang po ang magbibigay ng serbisyo lalung-lalo na sa panahon ng pandemya (We cannot implement Universal Health Care with just the government hospitals, especially with the ongoing pandemic),” he said.

He also questioned why PhilHealth President and CEO Dante Gierran only managed to remove one PhilHealth officer over anomalous claims.

“Ang panawagan ko kay Atty. Gierran: Bakit iisa pa lang ang natatanggal sa PhilHealth dahil sa mga anomalya, nag-resign pa? Ang ibig mo bang sabihin, lahat ng mga anomalya sa nakalipas eh naririyan pa rin ang lahat ng mga taong responsible pa diyan at ni isang tao sa PhilHealth, hindi dapat sibakin? Hindi po kapani-paniwala iyan (My appeal to Atty. Gierran: How come only one officer of PhilHealth was removed over anomalous claims and via resignation? Do you mean to say that the people behind these anomalies are still there and that none of them should be sacked? That’s unbelievable),” he added.

In September 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Gierran to clean up the corruption-tainted PhilHealth before the end of the year.

Gierran, former director of the National Bureau of Investigation, was appointed to head PhilHealth in August 2020.

He replaced Ricardo Morales who resigned due to his health condition.