Expanded health care lacks P95 B in 2020 — DOH

MANILA, Philippines — The universal or expanded health care (UHC) program, which aims to provide all Filipinos with free basic health services starting January next year, lacks almost P95 billion on its first year in 2020, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

A new report that the DOH has submitted to the House of Representatives indicated that total available funds next year from all official sources would amount only to P162.26 billion as against the funding requirement of P257.54 billion, or a deficit of P94.92 billion.

Of the P162.26 billion, P88.26 billion will come from DOH and is allocated in the proposed P4.1-trillion 2020 national budget.

An additional P7 billion is allotted in the proposed budget for health personnel deployment and P67.35 billion for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

PhilHealth said its P67.35-billion budgetary subsidy next year would be good only for 31 million beneficiaries.

Some P17.5 billion is to be contributed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) and P2.8 billion by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

The Pagcor contribution is half of the national government’s share of Pagcor’s earnings.

The Department of Finance had earlier estimated UHC’s funding shortfall at P62 billion.

“If we consider only the total resources available in the 2020 national budget (P162.26 billion), the funding gap is P94.92 billion. If we include the Pagcor and PCSO contributions, the gap is down to P74 billion,” the DOH said in its report.

It added that the problem with the expected augmentations from Pagcor and the PCSO is that the money is “not earmarked for health but part of the (national government’s) general fund.”

On PhilHealth premiums alone, the DOH said P104 billion will be needed to cover all Filipinos with free health insurance, while only P67.35 billion will be provided in the proposed national budget for next year, or a deficit of P36.63 billion.

For health facilities, P23.5 billion will be needed, while the amount appropriated in the budget is only P5.9 billion.

For health care workers, the UHC will require P50.73 billion in 2020. Only P38.61 billion is allocated, or a shortfall of more than P12 billion.

Lawmakers had earlier assured intended beneficiaries that they would give the program enough funds.

Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, who chairs the House committee on health and an author of the UHC law, said she is helping the DOH seek additional funds, particularly for health care personnel.

“We have asked the Department of Budget and Management how we can manage the expectation of our people if the number of employees will be decreased,” Tan said.

With the signing of UHC law’s IRR, the Commission on Human Rights yesterday expressed hope that more funding will be allocated to ensure higher coverage for Filipinos. – With Janvic Mateo