The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) should pull out its funding support in hospitals located in coronavirus-free areas and transfer the allocation instead to facilities battling high cases of infections, a Palace official suggested Thursday.
(OPS / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque has proposed the bigger allocation for health care institutions in Metro Manila and other coronavirus-hit places under the PhilHealth's Interim Reimbursement Mechanism.
Roque admitted raising such suggestion about the PhilHealth funds for hospitals during a recent meeting with the concerned officials in Malacañang.
“Nung nagpulong sa Malacañang yung board ng PhilHealth, isa sa bagay na nilabas ko at sinabi ko, bakit andaming binigay na pera doon sa mga rehiyon na wala namang COVID. Ang aking suhestiyon, kinakailangan bawiin ang mga yan at ibuhos doon sa mga lugar na merong COVID (When PhilHealth board met in Malacanang, one of the issues I raised is why there were so much funds given to regions without COVID. My suggestion is the funds must be withdrawn and poured instead to places with COVID)," Roque said during a televised briefing Thursday.
“Hindi ako tutol doon sa ginagawang advance na ginagawa ng Philhealth basta ilagay natin sa mga lugar na nangangailangan ng salaping ito dahil hindi naman pupuwede na maghihintay sila ng cash reimbursement bago sila makagalaw. Pero ilagay po yan sa Metro Manila at mga karatig (na lugar) na nasa MECQ (modified enhanced community quarantine) sa ngayon (I am not opposed to the cash advice done by PhilHealth as long as these are given in places that need the money. Because they cannot simply wait for the cash reimbursement before they can move. But the funds should be allocated to Metro Manila and nearby areas under MECQ)," he said.
As of July 31, PhilHealth announced on its website it has released P14.9 billion in IRM to accredited hospitals to help them respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Under PhilHealth's IRM, emergency funds are released to health care institutions during natural disasters, calamities and other unforeseen events. With the latest coronavirus outbreak, hospitals have been allowed to apply for IRM equivalent to three months' worth of benefit claims based in 2019. The amount will be charged to their future claims.
A recent Senate hearing showed that the Southern Philippines Medical Center, a government hospital located in Davao City, got the biggest share in the IRM with P326 million. The University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital came second with P263 million, followed by the Davao Regional Medical Center with P209 million.
Malacañang quickly shot down speculations about any irregularity in the PhilHealth allotment for the government hospital located in President Duterte’s hometown.
Roque said there was nothing irregular with the SPMC allotment since it is the biggest government hospital in the country.
He explained that hospital has 1,500 beds, 3,600 personnel, and several specialty buildings such as the Heart Institute, the Institute for Women and Newborn Care and the Cancer Institute.
The total admissions to SPMC reached 76,586 last year. Around 586,278 outpatients were recorded in the same period, according to Roque.