Escudero wants Senate to look into PhilHealth safeguard mechanisms

Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero (Chiz Escudero’s Facebook page)

MANILA – Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero on Sunday said the Senate will look into the safeguard mechanisms in place at the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) which receives one of the biggest chunks of public spending for health.

Escudero said this will ensure that government allocation for the health coverage of the poor would not go to scammers.

“We will check the check and balance, safeguard mechanisms of PhilHealth because it happens even in other countries,” Escudero said.

In 2014, the government earmarked Php35 billion for PhilHealth premiums to cover 15 million indigents in the Philippines, a 179-percent increase in government health subsidy for the poor.

For this year, over Php36 billion has been set for premium payments of indigents.

”The budget of PhilHealth is being allotted for the payment of premiums of the beneficiaries. It is not for the PhilHealth operation,” the Senate committee on finance chairman said.

Out of 90 million Filipinos enrolled in PhilHealth, 43 million are indigent members, he said.

Escudero said the recent scams uncovered by the PhilHealth should not stop the agency from approving claims for cataract surgeries.

Cataract removal is the fifth most common procedure reimbursed by PhilHealth in 2014, accounting for 128,331 paid that amounted to Php2,056,379,782.

Escudero said PhilHealth just needs to be thorough about validating claims.

Last year, the PhilHealth made a total of Php78 billion in benefit payments, 23 percent of which went to private hospitals and clinics.

On July 1, the Senate began its inquiry into the reported Php2 billion suspicious claims of hospitals and clinics accredited by PhilHealth, many of them for cataract removal procedures.