Some senators expressed their displeasure upon learning that the bicameral conference committee has approved a zero subsidy budget for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp, (PhilHealth) under the proposed 2025 national budget.
Deputy Minority Leader Sen. Risa Hontiveros said denying PhilHealth support to pay the premium contribution of the most vulnerable is to deny Filipinos their right to health.
“Obligasyon ng gobyerno na bayaran ang premiums ng mga indirect contributors, kabilang ang mga mahihirap, senior citizens at PWDs. Kapag inabandona ito ng gobyerno, ang papasan dito ay ang mga ordinaryong mamamayan na buwan-buwan kinakaltasan ng PhilHealth (The government is obligated to fund the premiums of indirect contributors, including the poor, senior citizens and persons with disability. If the government abandons this, ordinary members will take the burden of paying monthly Philhealth premiums),” Hontiveros said.
“That’s why this ‘zero subsidy’ is unfair, illegal, and potentially unconstitutional,” she added.
Earlier, after the bicameral conference committee meeting at the Manila Hotel, Senate Finance Committee chairperson Sen. Grace Poe said lawmakers have agreed not to grant the subsidy being asked by the state health insurance agency due to the fact PhilHealth still has P600-billion in reserve funds that remain unutilized.
But Hontiveros argued that under the PhilHealth Charter, the Sin Tax Law and the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act mandate that portions of certain taxes go to the state health insurer.
“Kahit pa may ‘excess o reserve funds’ kuno ang PhilHealth, may mga batas na nagsasabing kailangan ito pondohan (Even if PhilHealth has excess or reserve funds, we have laws that state these should be funded),” she said.
Besides, Hontiveros said, the reserve funds of PhilHealth cannot be used for premium payment of indirect contributors as it acts as an emergency fund, for future financial obligations.
“Ang pagkakamali at pagkukulang ng liderato ng PhilHealth ay dapat iwasto, pero 'di dapat maperwisyo ang mga miyembro nito (PhilHealth’s leadership mistakes and shortcomings must be corrected, but its members must not be corrupted),” Hontiveros said.
“It is ironic that PhilHealth gets zero subsidy on the eve of International Universal Health Coverage Day, especially when the UN (United Nations) makes it clear that health is the government’s responsibility,” she lamented.
Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, opted to review the contents of the bicameral conference committee report on the national budget.
“I am currently still reviewing the Bicam Report and so far, I found a few provisions that I have strong reservations on, particularly on the reported removal of the proposed budget for PhilHealth. I will manifest my own findings later during its ratification in the Senate plenary,” Go said.
“Bilang (As) Vice Chair ng (of the) Senate Committee on Finance at (and) Chair ng (of the) Senate Committee on Health, nais ko munang siguraduhin na bawat piso ng bayan ay magagamit nang tama at ang mga programa para sa kalusugan ay sapat na mapopondohan (I want to ensure that each peso would be used rightly and that all health programs be funded),” Go said.
“Marami po ang naghihirap at marami ang nagugutom. Hindi tayo papayag na maisantabi lamang ang ating mga adhikain na ipinaglalaban para maproteksyunan ang kalusugan at buhay ng bawat Pilipino (We have so many people who are struggling, many are going hungry. We will not allow that the aspirations to protect the health and life of every Filipino to be put aside),” Go said.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, said he is supportive of the move not to grant any subsidy for PhilHealth for next year so the agency can fully utilize the P600-billion reserve funds they have been keeping.
Gatchalian said he doubts that the lack of government subsidy would hinder PhilHealth of funding indirect contributions or premiums.
“Yes. I think it's not a question of cash flow, it's a question of spending. So, if you look at the balance sheet of PhilHealth, they're very healthy and again, the reserve funds are quite substantial,” Gatchalian told reporters in an interview.
“The last time I saw it, it's about P500 billion. So it's not a question of cash flow, it's a question of how to spend and where to spend,” he pointed out.
Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said that while he believes there is a potential for the move to be questioned before the Supreme Court, PhilHealth’s huge reserve fund should also be considered.
“Meron naman silang 600B reserve fund but yung nga lang yung legality ang baka maquestion kasi nga nasa batas yan na its already earmarked (They still have P600-billion reserve fund but the legality of it might be questioned because it is in the law and its already earmarked),” Ejercito said.