PhilHealth debt to Red Cross piling up due to delayed payment —Gordon

Senator Richard Gordon said the debts of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for the conduct of the COVID-19 swab tests have been piling up because of the failure of the state health insurer to adhere to the schedules of payment.

According to Cedric Castillo’s report on “24 Oras,” Gordon, PRC chairperson, said the debt of PhilHealth has climbed to P659 million.

“Alam mo kasi moving target ‘yan, eh. Napaka-unfair naman kami ang napapasubo, trabaho ng gobyerno ‘yan, kami ang napapasubo dahil tumutulong kami. Eh, inaabuso naman ‘yung pagtulong namin. Hindi tama ‘yan,” Gordon said.

As PRC continues to conduct the testing for PhilHealth, the senator the payment schedules should be followed.

“Nagbayad sila nung isang araw P100 million. Pero ‘yung bago nung isang araw nagbayad ng P100 miliion, we waited 10 days, 10 days, bago nagbayad. Isipin mo lang P25 to P35 million a day, i-multiply mo by 10 days that’s already P350 million,” Gordon said.

“Gusto ko sana mangyari ‘yung usapan namin every three days magbayad sila para hindi lalawig,” he added.

Aside from COVID-19 testing, the PRC also give aid to residents which were affected by the series of typhoons that hit the country.

Gordon said that the PRC is forced to get budget from its reserved funds to continue its operations.

“They’re playing with fire. Eh, kung halimbawa hindi na namin kaya, titigil na naman tayo, tataas na naman ‘yan. Papasok tayo ng Disyembre, lahat ng buong mundo tumataas tapos kailangan natin mag-test,”  he said.

Malacañang assured PRC that it will adhere to its obligations.

“Magbabayad po ang national government. Napatunayan naman po ng national government na hindi po tumatalikod sa obligasyon ang national government,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

“[K]inakailangan lang po i-verify. At kinakailangan po ‘yan sang-ayon pa rin doon sa three-tiered payment scheme ng PhilHealth,” he added.

In early October, the PRC stopped conducting COVID-19 tests chargeable to PhilHealth due to the agency’s inability to settle its outstanding balance of over P930 million at that time.

The PRC resumed testing after the PhilHealth settled half of the balance.—Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News