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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Rodriguez wants Marcos to order return of P89.9-B PhilHealth funds

Rodriguez wants Marcos to order return of P89.9-B PhilHealth funds

Published Jul 22, 2024 02:13 am

At A Glance

  • Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said President Marcos should "do justice" and order the return of P89.9 billion worth of funds to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for its members' medical benefits.

FB_IMG_1663259461086.jpgCagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Rep. Rodriguez’s Facebook page)

Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said President Marcos should “do justice” and order the return of P89.9 billion worth of funds to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for its members’ medical benefits.

“The President will do justice to the more than 104 million members of PhilHealth if he orders the return of the funds,” Rodriguez said in a statement on Monday, July 22.

“The money belongs to PhilHealth members, not to a so-called ‘general fund’ of the national government,” he added.

Earlier, through a Department of Finance (DOF) order, PhilHealth was directed to transfer P89.9 billion in excess funds to the Bureau of Treasury.

According to the DOF, these funds are set to finance unprogrammed appropriations. The agency said this was a “more prudent” option for the government than borrowing or imposing taxes.

Rodriguez argues that these funds are better used for the healthcare benefits of Philhealth members instead. He said this can help increase the amount of health insurance coverage, or for additional services not presently covered by the state health insurer.

“This way, it is the members who will benefit from their funds, not some personalities who would dipped their fingers into the P90-billion ‘general fund’,” he stressed.

The veteran lawmaker pointed out that the nearly P90 billion in excess funds consists of premium contributions from direct contributors and indirect contributors.

According to PhilHealth, direct contributors are employees from whom a portion of their salary is deducted every payday and remitted to the state health insurer, which also include overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), self-earning individuals, and Filipinos aged 21 years old and above with capacity to pay.

Meanwhile, indirect contributors are the indigents, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and senior citizens whose premiums are paid for by the national government.

“Whether direct or indirect premium contributions, these funds belong to Philhealth members,” noted Rodriguez.

“The national government should not take away what it has paid for the health insurance coverage of millions of the poor and the elderly and make these people pay for their health insurance,” the solon continued.

Rodriguez also seeks a response from Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, who chairs the PhilHealth board, for supposedly failing to fight for the retention of the funds in PhilHealth.

“Secretary Herbosa should explain this failure, which is not congruent with his previous declaration that PhilHealth funds are for the benefit of its members,” he underscored.

Related Tags

PhilHealth fund transfer Rufus Rodriguez President Marcos
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