Solon wants 30% increase in PhilHealth benefit packages, coverage

A lawmaker is seeking to have state health insurer Philippine Health  Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) implement a 30% increase in its benefit packages and coverage, following the P89.9 billion in excess funds reported by the agency.

Under House Resolution 1900, Agri  Party-list representative Wilbert “Manoy” Lee called for PhilHealth to increase benefits and introduce new benefits packages, such as vital diagnostic tests and other laboratory exams as outpatient services.

“PhilHealth shall serve as the national healthcare provider and not as an investment powerhouse. It is mandated and obliged to utilize most of the funds to increase the program’s benefits and decrease the amount of members’ contributions,” he said in an emailed statement on Sunday.

“It is in the best interest of beneficiaries and contributors of the National Health Insurance Program to increase all benefits and coverage of PhilHealth to ultimately lower the out-of-pocket costs of Filipinos for their healthcare needs,” he added.

This comes as  PhilHealth was reported to have P89.9 billion in excess funds, of which P20 billion was transmitted to the national treasury as of  July 23, with the rest set to be released on a staggered basis.

“The availability of substantial funds shows that PhilHealth can expand its benefit packages and can even introduce new benefits to cover more of the actual hospitalization costs of beneficiaries,” Lee said in a letter to PhilHealth dated August 8.

Under its mandate, PhilHealth is tasked to administer the National Health Insurance Program which aims to provide health insurance coverage and ensure affordable, acceptable, available, and accessible healthcare services for all citizens of the  Philippines.

To recall, PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Rufino Ledesma said the agency would recommend to  President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that members’ contributions to the fund be reduced.

Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, however, said he would prefer improving benefits packages to reduce the out-of-pocket medical expenses of  Filipinos.

“Payag ba akong bawasan ‘yan [contribution]? Ang unang sagot ko diyan, I would prefer… better benefit packages, para makatulong sa ating mga kababayan na mabawasan ‘yung out-of-pocket expenses ng mga nagkakasakit,” he said last week. — DVM, GMA Integrated News