Drilon questions PhilHealth's stiff COVID-19 test package
Published May 19, 2020 12:00 am
By Hannah Torregoza
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday questioned why the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is charging members a costly package for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing when others, such as the Philippine Red Cross can offer similar rates at a much lower price.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon (Manila Bulletin)
Drilon said he cannot understand why PhilHealth has approved a COVID-19 package rate at P8, 150 when the PRC can offer the same at half the price.
“If you have yourself tested (at Red Cross its) 50 percent lower or about P4,000, and so PhilHealth would have a package of 8,000?” Drilon said at the Senate Committee of the Whole’s hearing on the status of the government’s COVID-19 crisis response.
“I think this is a little overpriced and this causes unnecessary depletion of the resources of PhilHealth,” the minority leader further said.
“Red Cross has shown they could make it viable at P4,000, so why is PhilHealth package costing the members of PhilHealth P8,150?” he asked.
Responding to Drilon’s query, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III explained that the actual charges ranges from P2,710 to as high as P8,150, depending on the test kits that were used.
Duque said some COVID-19 test kits that were used are donated while some laboratories spend for the cost of the test kits.
“If the testing is not done by the DOH, and the test kit used was not donated, that means the laboratory had spent for the cost. It would be P8,150 per test. If the testing was not paid for by the DOH but the test kit was donated (the amount could be lesser),” Duque explained.
“Kasi meron ho tayong mga (because we have some) donated test kits, especially during the initial phase of our ramping up of our testing capacity,” he pointed out.
But Drilon insisted that the state-run health insurance agency should adjust its package rate considering that the price of the UP test kits costs about only P2,000 while the test kits from China costs about P1,500.
The minority leader said there is no reason for PhilHealth not to work for a package rate that is within the price range offered by the PRC.
“Yes, we are talking about the Philhealth… I think it (package rate) is overpriced,” Drilon reiterated.
“The UP test kit costs about P2,000 and the price from China is about P1,500, assuming there is a corresponding service fee in the conduct of the testing. This is about P2,000. That is why the Red Cross package is within that area, within that cost,” he stressed.
“But P8,000 from PhilHealth? That is really something that will make you start to wonder. I hope this can be reviewed. Can the PhilHealth review this because we believe this is overstated,” he asked the DOH secretary.
To which Duque agreed, saying the government’s task for COVID-19 “will review it immediately” and submit its recommendation to the Senate by the end of the week.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon (Manila Bulletin)
Drilon said he cannot understand why PhilHealth has approved a COVID-19 package rate at P8, 150 when the PRC can offer the same at half the price.
“If you have yourself tested (at Red Cross its) 50 percent lower or about P4,000, and so PhilHealth would have a package of 8,000?” Drilon said at the Senate Committee of the Whole’s hearing on the status of the government’s COVID-19 crisis response.
“I think this is a little overpriced and this causes unnecessary depletion of the resources of PhilHealth,” the minority leader further said.
“Red Cross has shown they could make it viable at P4,000, so why is PhilHealth package costing the members of PhilHealth P8,150?” he asked.
Responding to Drilon’s query, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III explained that the actual charges ranges from P2,710 to as high as P8,150, depending on the test kits that were used.
Duque said some COVID-19 test kits that were used are donated while some laboratories spend for the cost of the test kits.
“If the testing is not done by the DOH, and the test kit used was not donated, that means the laboratory had spent for the cost. It would be P8,150 per test. If the testing was not paid for by the DOH but the test kit was donated (the amount could be lesser),” Duque explained.
“Kasi meron ho tayong mga (because we have some) donated test kits, especially during the initial phase of our ramping up of our testing capacity,” he pointed out.
But Drilon insisted that the state-run health insurance agency should adjust its package rate considering that the price of the UP test kits costs about only P2,000 while the test kits from China costs about P1,500.
The minority leader said there is no reason for PhilHealth not to work for a package rate that is within the price range offered by the PRC.
“Yes, we are talking about the Philhealth… I think it (package rate) is overpriced,” Drilon reiterated.
“The UP test kit costs about P2,000 and the price from China is about P1,500, assuming there is a corresponding service fee in the conduct of the testing. This is about P2,000. That is why the Red Cross package is within that area, within that cost,” he stressed.
“But P8,000 from PhilHealth? That is really something that will make you start to wonder. I hope this can be reviewed. Can the PhilHealth review this because we believe this is overstated,” he asked the DOH secretary.
To which Duque agreed, saying the government’s task for COVID-19 “will review it immediately” and submit its recommendation to the Senate by the end of the week.