A LAWMAKER has sought a probe on the 100% increase in members'
contribution imposed by a state-owned insurance corporation despite the
government's "generous" budgetary support, according to a statement
released yesterday.
Senator Ralph G. Recto filed Senate Resolution (SR) 709 asking the
committees on government corporations and public enterprises, and the
committee on health to spearhead the probe on Philippine Health
Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) Circular 22-2011.
The circular doubled the insurance company's premium quarterly
contributions for new members to P600 from P300. Also affected by the
hike are members who are earning a minimum of P25,000 a year based on
their income tax returns.
"The planned increase in PhilHealth contributions is unnecessary,
nevertheless I'm still asking the proper Senate committees to look into
this and invite its officials to give their side," Mr. Recto was quoted
as saying in the statement.
Sought for comment, PhilHealth Executive Vice-President and Chief
Operating Officer Alexander A. Padilla said that the hike in premium
collections from members will be offset by benefits due to them.
"The increase in benefits is more than what we would be asking," Mr.
Padilla said in a telephone interview yesterday.
The state insurer sees some P40 billion in total collections after the
increase, but total benefits to be given out will be at around P60
billion, he told BusinessWorld.
Mr. Recto, however, said that PhilHealth has a P110-billion cash stash
in the form of retained earnings, while the government allotted some P12
billion in subsidies under the General Appropriations Act this year.
"From January to November in 2011, PhilHealth was among the top agencies
that received the biggest slice of the P45.205-billion subsidies given
out to state-owned corporations," he added.
"If these amounts are not enough to turn in a good service and make
health care more affordable to a greater number of people, the Senate
should at least have an idea of what really ails PhilHealth, whether
it's shortage of funds or loss of public service appetite," the lawmaker
added.
PhilHealth's Mr. Padilla assured that the planned "increase in total
benefits have already taken into account tapping into their reserves."
Nevertheless, SR 709 asked PhilHealth officials to present detailed
financial statements of the state insurer in order to determine the
"need to increase" premium contributions.
Meanwhile, PhilHealth yesterday launched a new Web site
(www.philhealth.gov.ph) that makes registration, claims eligibility
verification, online mapping, premium reporting and employee
transactions services available online.
The process does away with the hassle of filling out forms that
intimidate most of their targeted beneficiaries, said Dr. Eduardo P.
Banzon, PhilHealth President and CEO. "IT (information technology) is
not just a tool to facilitate processes," Mr. Banzon said, "but also a
powerful equalizer for the poor."
He added that they will release a version of the Web site in the
vernacular in the next two months.
PhilHealth piloted the use of E-Claims Project with Quirino Memorial
Medical Center (QMMC). Arnold Gaspar, the QMMC billing department
assistant head, said that the program cut payment of claims to patients
to three weeks, or around 21 days from the previous 60 days.
As of September 2011, PhilHealth tallied around 27.7 million members,
with 50.7 million dependents for a total of 78.3 million Filipinos. --
Antonio Siegfrid O. Alegado with a report from Mariae Francesca C. Ramos
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