PhilHealth: 5% premium rate hike to push through in 2024 as scheduled

PhilHealth on Thursday said the premium rate increase to 5% by 2024 as mandated by the Universal Health Care (UHC) law will go as planned, unless President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. would say otherwise.

PhilHealth’s Acting Vice President for Corporate Affairs Rey Baleña made the remark even as Marcos recently ordered the suspension of this year’s premium rate hike to 4.5% from 4%, as well as the adjustment of the income ceiling to P90,000 from P80,000.

“Ang sinuspinde ay itong 2023. Ngayon, wala pa namang abiso o instruction para sa susunod na taon, sa 2024,” Baleña said in an interview on GMA News’ Unang Balita.

(What was suspended was only for 2023. There is no advisory or instruction yet for 2024.)

“Kung bubuti ang lahat at wala namang magiging abiso ang ating Pangulo, ay tuloy po ayon sa schedule sa Universal Health Care Law ay 5% ‘yung ating premium rate at ‘yung ceiling ay P100,000,” he added.

(If everything goes well and there will be no directive from the President, then according to the schedule in the Universal Health Care Law, our premium rate will increase to 5% and the ceiling will be P100,000.)

The scheduled increase is in accordance with the UHC, which was signed in 2019 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte. The law mandates hikes in the PhilHealth contribution rate until it reaches 5% by 2024.

Baleña on Wednesday expressed hope that Congress will be able to amend the UHC by 2024, in light of the suspension of the premium rate increase for this year.

Due to the suspension, Baleña said PhilHealth has to make adjustments in the deployment of new benefits scheduled to be implemented this year, such as the severe acute malnutrition package and the outpatient mental health package. —KBK, GMA Integrated News