Regarding the depletion of PhilHealth funds

PRESS RELEASE Rep. Angelina “Helen” D.L. Tan, M.D. August 9, 2020 Chairperson Angelina “Helen” Tan House Committee on Health Chai...

PRESS RELEASE Rep. Angelina “Helen” D.L. Tan, M.D.
August 9, 2020

Chairperson Angelina “Helen” Tan

House Committee on Health Chairperson Angelina “Helen” Tan today said she is saddened to hear PhilHealth’s claim that it will be running a deficit by the end of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“PhilHealth‘s statement regarding its fund depletion is enormously alarming considering that we are just about to roll out the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act, a commitment that we have made to all Filipinos.” Nerissa Santiago, PhilHealth Acting Senior Vice President, told the Senate Committee on the Whole during its investigation on the alleged irregularities within the state-run agency that there will be no more reserve fund by 2021 because of the expected decreased in collections and increase in payouts due to the COVID-19. PhlHealth expects a net operating loss of P90 billion in 2020. It has also projected to incur P147 billion in losses by 2021.





Tan, however, questioned the accuracy of the data citing a significant decrease in benefit package payments as more patients are avoiding hospitals out of fear of contracting COVID-19. “While it is easy to understand that the pandemic has brought a ‘double impact’ of decreasing collections and increasing payouts for the hospitalization of COVID-19 patients, it is hard to think that PhilHealth will be dead horse by next year considering that it is saving a lot of money because of the decreased utilization of other benefit packages”, she explained.

In a letter dated 27 June 2019, the House health panel chair had requested the Commission on Audit to conduct a Special Audit of the PhilHealth due to various controversies such as the alleged overpayment of claims, anomalous dialysis treatments, and upcasing practices among others.





“Even during the last Congress, I have already conducted hearings and dialogues to discuss PhilHealth’s financial standing because I recognize the state health insurer’s systemic problem and ambiguous policies that significantly affect patients access to health services. As principal author of the UHC Law, I have vowed to exercise my oversight functions to help strengthen PhilHealth’s role in the health system”, Tan said.

To date, however, even after a follow up letter dated 28 July 2019, COA is yet to conduct a special audit of PhilHealth, a move which could have shed light to its numerous controversies and would have validated the claims of PhilHealth.#





Nakapanayam sa Failon Ngayon si Congw. Doktora Helen Tan, Chairperson, House Committee on Health ukol sa Implementasyon ng Universal Healthcare (UHC) at Pagresponde sa COVID-19

Sinuguro ni Congw. Doktora Helen Tan sa kanyang interview sa Failon Ngayon na personal nyang tututukan sa Kongreso ang pondong laan para sa pagpapatupad ng Universal Healthcare (UHC), ito ay sa kabila ng mga alegasyon na kinahaharap ng High Ranking PhilHealth Officials na kasalukuyan nang dinidinig sa Senado.

Nauna dito, matatandaang noong Joint Oversight Committee Hearing on the Implementation of UHC, tinanong ni Congw. Doktora Helen Tan ang Presidente ng PhilHealth Corporation ukol sa aktwal na koleksyon mula sa mga miyembro sa panahon ng COVID 19 para maikumpara ito sa kaparehas na panahon na wala pang pandemya.

Naitanong din ang kanyang palagay sa estado ng ating bansa sa pagresponde sa COVID 19 na kanya rin sinagot.

Matatandaang naglabas na rin ng Opisyal na Pahayag si Congw. Doktora Helen Tan na naglalaman ng mga mungkahi para IATF mga hakbang na maaari nating gawin laban sa COVID 19.