The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) recently urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to increase the health benefits package and suspend the implementation of the hike in members’ contributions, pointing out the PhilHealth had a net income of P173.46 billion in 2023 but its financial assistance to members continues to be severely deficient.
“Despite posting surplus funds, the agency’s health insurance coverage is still at the bare minimum. Members continue to disproportionately shoulder the burden of their hospital and health care expenses,” PCCI president Enunina Mangio said.
“These funds are contributions from the hard-earned money of its members. These should be plowed back to members in the form of higher rates of benefits, including hospitalization, and the expansion of covered illnesses,” Mangio added.
The PCCI is also urging the government to suspend the implementation of the increase in PhilHealth members’ contributions.
PhilHealth earlier told lawmakers that they will raise benefit packages by an additional 30 percent before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Solicitor General asked the Supreme Court to dismiss for lack of merit the petition challenging the diversion of P89.9 billion of PhilHealth excess funds to unprogrammed appropriations in the national budget.
When a state-run insurer has billions in excess funds, the expectation would be it had already delivered adequate services and was no longer in need of funds. However, that still doesn’t seem to be the case as there continue to be numerous calls for the benefits to be increased and the members’ contribution reduced. Does PhilHealth have excess funds amounting to almost P90B because it is doing something right, or is it left over because it is not doing enough?
Whatever the case, PhilHealth has to do more and charge less, while at the same time maximizing the funds that the government has allocated to it, so public health is improved, and not so those funds can be diverted to unrelated projects.*
