Private hospitals’ group mulls lawsuit vs PhilHealth

MANILA, Philippines - The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPi) is up in arms over a plan by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to allow another group to be the lone recognized certifying body for health facilities applying for PhilHealth accreditation.

PHAPi president Rustico Jimenez said this plan would deny more than 700 PHAPi members accreditation with PhilHealth.

“We will sue Padilla… before the Office of the Ombudsman for not allowing PHAPi members PhilHealth accreditation,” he said, referring to PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Alexander Padilla.

Jimenez said PhilHealth drew up with a memorandum “requiring only PHA (Philippine Hospital Association) to certify the accreditation renewal for PhilHealth.”

He claimed that Padilla had committed usurpation of authority because there is an existing administrative order from the Department of Health that only a license is required to be accredited by PhilHealth.

“This is practically killing our organization. Why? Because we have been critical of PhilHealth. We are the ones who have been exposing their delayed reimbursement, among other issues that we raised,” Jimenez added.

While PHAPi is comprised of only private hospitals, the PHA’s members are private and government hospitals.

Asked about the issue, Padilla said the Philippine Medical Association and PHA asked to “have only one accrediting body.”

This is in line with PhilHealth’s plan to require hospitals and health care facilities to secure a “certificate of good standing” when they apply for PhilHealth accreditation.

“This certificate was already being required in the past but it was discontinued. We are planning to revive it but there is no order yet. Most probably we will push through and we will recognize only one (certifying) body,” he added.