Senator questions OP control of PhilHealth

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros doubted the effort of President Marcos to take control of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), a move which she described as questionable and surprising and will expose the national health insurance system to political patronage.

During yesterday’s Kapihan sa Senado forum, Hontiveros said the President would like to take over PhilHealth while he has already neglected the Department of Agriculture, where he is the secretary in concurrent capacity.

“With so many works the Office of the President has neglected and needs to do, in addition to being the secretary of agriculture, the continued attempt to bring PhilHealth under the control of the President is questionable and surprising,” Hontiveros noted.

“The move is not logical. It will expose our national health insurance system to political patronage. PhilHealth is designed to provide financial protection to realize universal health care, it should remain under the public health authorities,” she pointed out. “Education and health are two of the most urgent points of recovery for the country post-pandemic, even affecting the economy. Recovery is an illusion without appropriate and urgent action in these sectors.”

“The President has the wrong priority. In education, English and ROTC will not solve the deep learning and literacy crisis; the President must convene departments for an aggressive and collaborative whole-of-government approach to education, and oversee quality spending of the budget,” she said.

“The President should make local work conditions attractive by spearheading an increase of salaries and fast-tracking health emergency allowance owed to health care workers, and incentives for teachers. The lack of support for our health care workers and teachers has dire consequences on the quality of health care and education,” she said.

In Congress, House committee on health vice chair and BHW party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co said she supports transferring PhilHealth under the Office of the President as this “could improve accountability, processes and performance.”

Co noted the transfer may result in “much faster claims processing and reimbursements to all the accredited hospitals and clinics to stave off their financial distress or collapse.”

“May the transfer also result in new packages for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, persons with special needs and athletes of all ages,” she added. — Rhodina Villanueva