PhilHealth chief: No sacred cows in probe

MANILA, Philippines — Newly appointed Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales yesterday gave assurance that no one will be spared in the ongoing investigations of anomalies in the agency.

In an interview with The STAR, Morales said “everyone will be investigated” in PhilHealth concerning irregularities, particularly on the payment of fraudulent reimbursement claims.

“(President Duterte ordered that we) look into each allegation and get to the bottom of (it). He said there should be no sacred cow...  Everyone will be investigated,” Morales said.

He assured all PhilHealth officials and employees that the investigation will be “fair and just,” but if there is evidence of fraud, “the law will have to take its course.”

“It is important now for PhilHealth to reassure its employees that everything is going to be alright. If they are dedicated to their jobs, if they have nothing to do with all the discrepancies, they have  nothing to fear. They have a good future in PhilHealth,” he noted.

Morales made this statement to officials and employees when he attended his first flag ceremony last Monday.

Asked about the alleged presence of a mafia in PhilHealth that is behind irregularities, he maintained that this is already being probed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Morales also underscored that while PhilHealth has its own internal investigation, it covers only the administrative aspect. Thus, if they find evidence of criminal-related violations, the case will be forwarded to the NBI.

Come clean

The official also urged all accredited health care facilities and health professionals who are defrauding the government to come out; otherwise, the law, he said, will catch up with them eventually and they will face the consequences of their unscrupulous activities.

“I am not threatening anyone, but if there are evidence that they have defrauded the government, then the law will have to take its course,” he said.

A retired army general, Morales admitted that Duterte’s directives to clean up and initiate reforms at PhilHealth are a tall order, but he will not shirk from duty.

“All along, I’ve been talking about doing something, improving our society. So, the President said, ‘You say so many things. Just do it.’ That is now the challenge for me – from talking and criticizing to doing it,” Morales said.

The new PhilHealth chief intends to give his all to fulfill his mandate as it is his top priority to implement universal health care (UHC) effectively.

“I think these are extraordinary times for PhilHealth because of the UHC and the issues confronting the corporation. If necessary, we will also take extraordinary measures. Always rise to the challenge,” he said.