The Private Hospital Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPi) on Thursday, Feb. 15, expressed openness to the move of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to increase benefit packages but emphasized the importance of “timely payments” to hospitals.
During the interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo, PHAPi President Dr. Jose Rene De Grano welcomed the said initiative.
“Okay naman po samin ‘yan na mag increase sila ng benefit packages as long as babayaran nila kami ("It's okay with us if they increase the benefit packages as long as they pay us)," he added.
However, he also pointed out the discrepancies between PHAPi's records and PhilHealth's claims. De Grano said that while PhilHealth asserts to have settled debts, many hospitals still await payments.
"Kaya po kasi nagkakaroon ng problema, iba kasi 'yung lista namin at iba rin ang lista nila [PhilHealth] (The problem arises because our list is different from PhilHealth's),” he pointed out.
De Grano also added, “Kasi lahat ng aming benefits na ibinibigay sa pasyente ay isinasama namin 'yan, pero sa kanilang lista, kung ano lang ang gusto nilang bayaran ay 'yun lang ang nasa pagkaka-utang nila. Kaya hindi kami nagtutugma ng lista kung magkano ang utang (Because we include all the benefits we provide to patients, but in their list, they only include what they want to pay. That's why our lists don't match in terms of the amount owed).”
PhilHealth said it paid off 90 percent of the P27 billion debt as of last September.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/12/phil-health-implements-a-5-premium-rate-increase-this-year
However, De Grano disputed this, stating that during their recent meeting, PhilHealth claimed almost full payment, yet outstanding amounts persisted.
"During our meeting, they said that it's almost paid off, but of course, the claims keep coming, so it's not stopping," noted De Grano.
Despite PhilHealth's assertions, he confirmed that the debt to private hospitals remains at approximately seven billion pesos, dating back to 2014.
"Some of our members have already sent their accounts receivables to PhilHealth," he added, indicating proactive steps taken by hospitals to address the issue.
Moreover, De Grano urged PhilHealth to honor their commitment and gradually settle outstanding debts, emphasizing the importance of accountability and transparency in healthcare financing.