PhilHealth suspends 38 employees and officials

Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) said it suspended 38 erring officials and employees from their ranks in the fight against fraudulent and corrupt activities.

“They are now under suspension. Suspended na po sila at ‘yung iba maraming kaso,” PhilHealth acting president and CEO Roy Ferrer said in a press conference on Thursday.

Some of those suspended were mid-level managers allegedly involved in processing fraudulent transactions, Ferrer said, noting they refused to be reassigned so they could cover up their anomalous activities. 

The middle managers and employees involved were not named by the government-owned and controlled corporation which administers the National Health Insurance Program.

Two former employees of WellMed Dialysis & Laboratory Center Corp., Edwin Roberto and Liezel Santos, claimed that the PhilHealth-accredited facility has been processing and benefiting from claims of deceased patients.

PhilHealth officials confirmed that they were able to monitor fraudulent acts involving WellMed. Their findings showed that 28 of the medical cases that have been filed involved dead patients while 12 others are under investigation.

“Nagpa-file sila ng cases kahit na namatay na ‘yung pasyente. Dinodoktor po nila ‘yung claim. Ibig sabihin pinapalabas nila na pumipirma doon ‘yung ating pasyente,” Atty. Rodolfo Del Rosario, PhilHealth’s chief legal officer, said.

“They have misrepresented that these people are still alive and actually benefited from their services but in fact ay hindi po,” he added.

Del Rosario noted that 2,000 healthcare providers are now under close monitoring and investigation of PhilHealth to prevent more fraudulent acts.

Violators will be charged for misrepresentation and falsification of the claims, he added. 

Meanwhile, in a separate report by Divine Reyes on Super Radyo dzBB, Atty. Harry Roque—the lawyer of Roberto and Santos—was quoted as saying that some high-ranking PhilHealth officials should resign for incompetence in addressing corruption.

On the other hand, Ferrer said that he is confident of his leadership.

“Ako at ‘yung korporasyon, sisirain na naman nila because they want to go back, to take my place. But again, you have to earn it, you have to earn the pleasure of our President, for you to be put here,” he said.

“My position is at the discretion of the President, but I can say I can walk with my head up that I have done my part, bringing these people who committed fraud under suspension, and they will be dismissed and fined so with the severity of their cases,” he added.

In a separate interview, Roque said told GMA News ONline his intentions were clean.

My interest is to have a clean Philhealth to ensure the success of my legislative legacy, the universal health care law, he said.

Roque was a proponent of the Universal Health Care bill when he was still Kabayan party-list representative.—VDS, GMA News