4 hospitals close amid PhilHealth payment delay —official

Two more hospitals have temporarily ceased operations amid the delayed payments of PhilHealth, bringing the total number to four, the head of the group of private hospitals said on Friday.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, Dr. Jose Rene De Grano, president of Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPi), said one of these hospitals is in Samar while three are in Davao del Sur.

De Grano had earlier bared that two PHAPi member-hospitals have closed amid the issues with PhilHealth payment.

"Yun pong na-verify namin at nakausap ko 'yung mga nagma-manage nito, isa sa Samar at isa sa Davao del Sur [We've verified two, one in Samar and another in Davao del Sur]," he told Unang Balita.

"Meron ding nabalita rin na dalawa pang maliit na ospital doon din sa Davao del Sur na nagsara na rin [There are reports of two more hospitals in Davao del Sur that also stopped operations]," De Grano added.

The official said affected patients were accommodated in other hospitals and healthcare facilities, while some affected healthcare workers applied in other facilities while some chose to rest for the meantime.

More to follow?

De Grano feared that more hospitals and healthcare facilities would follow suit as the issue on PhilHealth's unpaid reimbursements remains unresolved.

"Napakabigat na po ito kasi pag ganyan po ang mga kondisyon natin ay baka sunod-sunod na po iyan [This is really serious because more hospitals might also cease operations if the prevailing condition remains]," he said.

De Grano said private hospitals' operations depend largely on the reimbursements from PhilHealth especially in COVID-19 cases.

"Masyado pong malalaki yang sa COVID cases kaya kapag hindi agad naibalik sa mga ospital ay talagang mauubos ang pondo ng private hospitals [If reimbursements from COVID cases don't arrive on time, it depletes the funds of private hospitals]," he said.

De Grano has earlier said PhilHealth still has more than P5 billion unpaid claims.

De Grano, however, said during the Unang Balita interview that coordination between PhilHealth and private hospital groups continues to find a solution to the problem.

At a congressional hearing on Thursday, PhilHealth chief Dante Gierran lamented that the agency is hurting from controversies hounding it but vowed that to pay 60% of unpaid hospital claims by next week.

Earlier this week, hospital groups and PhilHealth met to discuss the state insurer’s circular on the temporary suspension of payment of claims, which is intended to be a preventive measure against healthcare providers that are the subject of investigation.

Following the issuance of the circular, hospital groups said they would consider cutting ties with PhilHealth over a lack of trust.  —KBK, GMA News