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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider PhilHealth Davao justifies release of P325-million IRM to SPMC

PhilHealth Davao justifies release of P325-million IRM to SPMC

Published Aug 14, 2020 09:50 am

DAVAO CITY – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in Davao Region denied accusations of favoritism and corruption involving the P325-million in interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) funds that it provided the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) here.

PhilHealth-Davao Acting Regional Vice President Dr. Hector Zenon Leonardo P. Malate said, in a statement issued on Thursday, that all of its releases in the region followed the existing rules and regulations of the state-run insurer on the provision of IRM funds.

He said IRM was adopted “to respond to unanticipated events such as a pandemic.”

Malate said that the COVID-19 pandemic did not only cause widespread illness, but also disrupted the economy, affecting operations of private or government entities, including that of PhilHealth, which necessitated the release of IRM funds to sustain the operations of healthcare facilities.

He explained that IRM was not solely intended for COVID-19 treatment, but also for other health-related services, including but not limited to dialysis, chemotherapy, and maternity benefits as the “current health crisis affected everyone.”

Malate added that the IRM funds in the region were released accordingly, based on the applications made by facilities that subsequently passed all requirements, to ensure patients who need the assistance from PhilHealth, be they COVID-19 patients or not, can get access to medical services.

“This pre-payment mechanism is needed to ensure that despite the disruptions, sufficient funds are available so that healthcare facilities continue to operate and serve patients,” he said.

Malate noted that the 1,500-bed SPMC was the country’s largest government hospital, catering to patient-referrals from all other regions outside Davao.

He added that the government hospital was also the biggest COVID-19 referral hospital in Mindanao.

The region’s three COVID-19 referral hospitals are SPMC, Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City, and Davao Doctors Hospital’s Dumoy facility in Davao City.

“As with all other releases, the amount of IRM funds released to SPMC was based on the hospital’s 90-day annual historical benefit claim and have undergone due process on granting of IRM funds,” Malate said.

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