Andronico Del Rosario
The state insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is not out of the woods, even after showing an infographic detailing where the Php15 billion worth of funds went.
Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPi) president Dr. Jose De Grano said that the state insurer has yet to pay Php6 billion out to its member hospitals, apparently dating back to 2020.
Netizens would not take this bit of piece of information lightly, once again flinging mud at the state insurer for its inability to keep track of where its funds went.
The US-based Filipino journalist Barnaby Lo questioned PhilHealth’s recent liquidation graphics.
So what was it that Philhealth said they had been able to liquidate? Diba sabi hindi naman daw pala nawawala yun P15 billion? But now we learn Philhealth owes private hospitals P6 billion. https://t.co/gKNmGSfrtj
— Barnaby Lo (@barnabychuck) March 17, 2021
Netizen Kiko Rustia insinuated that PhilHealth would have a liquidation graphic ready for the Php6-billion missing dues.
Next thing you know- MAGIC! Biglang ma li-liquidate na yan gaya ng 15billion. https://t.co/Yep0Wg9asr
— kiko rustia (@kikorustia) March 17, 2021
CNN Philippines reporter Tristan Nodalo highlighted how some hospitals got forced to downsize in the middle of the pandemic due to these unpaid dues…
Some private hospitals need to undergo downsizing in the middle of a pandemic due to unpaid claims or debt from Philhealth https://t.co/5sKBXHpl0J
— Tristan Nodalo (@TristanNodalo) March 17, 2021
… a statement that De Grano himself would issue during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay media briefing held earlier today, March 17.
PHAPi says unsettled PhilHealth debts have caused many hospitals to downsize amid the pandemic
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) March 17, 2021
In the same media briefing, De Grano added that private hospitals couldn’t keep with the Department of Health (DOH)’s demands since nurses were in lack to watch over COVID-19 beds.
An Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for managing Emerging Infectious Diseases, treatment czar Dr. Leopoldo Vega, agreed with De Grano, saying private hospitals are concerned with the PhilHealth debt.
Treatment czar Dr. Vega says private hospitals are concerned over PhilHealth debt
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) March 17, 2021
According to Vega, the One Hospital Command Center (OHCC) has been getting more and more calls as of late regarding hospital capacity and assistance with transfers between hospitals.
Treatment czar Dr. Vega says numbers of calls to the One Hospital Command Center have been going up
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) March 17, 2021
PhilHealth stated the matter of unpaid hospital dues.
In a report from CNN Philippines, PhilHealth spokesperson Rey Balena said the state insurer has received about Php2.9 million claims from PHAPi members in 2020, amounting to Php28.3 billion.
Of that amount, PhilHealth has paid 87% or about Php24.9 billion. Eight percent of Php2.4 billion was denied due to deficiencies, while five percent or Php1.07 billion are still in process.
He said, “The state insurer recognizes the importance of timely reimbursements to the continuous operations of hospitals especially at this time in the pandemic.
“PhilHealth remains committed to paying its accredited providers within the prescribed Turn-Around Time.”
He noted that the current national average turn-around time is 39 days—faster than the 60 days prescribed by the law.
