PhilHealth appeals to hospitals to rethink planned protest

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is calling on its member hospitals to rethink their planned five-day protest, during which deductions for health services will not be accepted.

“We hope [Private Hospitals Associations of the Philippines Inc. president Dr. Jose Rene De Grano] will rethink his call to his member hospitals to go on PhilHealth holiday. Eventually, it will be the Filipino people who will suffer the consequences of such a call,” PhilHealth said in a statement.

De Grano had urged PHAPI members to refrain from accepting reimbursements involving PhilHealth from January 1 to January 5, 2022.

This comes after seven private hospitals in Iloilo, along with the Far Eastern University-Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation (FEU-NRMF) decided to cut ties with PhilHealth over the delayed payment of claims.

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

PhilHealth last month said it was seeking to settle unpaid claims to private hospitals by December, as it blamed the lack of manpower amid the COVID-19 pandemic for the payment failures.

“As of December 24, 2021, PhilHealth has fast tracked the release of P11.64 billion for payment of claims through the Debit Credit Payment Mfast-tracked to hospital partners nationwide,” the state insurer said.

“Under the third wave, all hospitals treating COVID patients and those offering the PhilHealth testing package can now avail of DCPM,” it said.

To date, PhilHealth said 182 hospitals have submitted their letter of intent to participate in DCPM 3.

“With the welfare of patients in mind, PhilHealth is constantly conducting reconciliation meetings on claims reimbursement issues with all its hospital partners nationwide to ensure continuing availment of members' benefits,” it said.

Under DCPM, only 60% would initially be paid to hospitals and the 40% would be paid upon completion of processing requirements. — DVM, GMA News