DOF vows to monitor PhilHealth spending in 2025

Finance Secretary Ralph Recto maintained Monday that the operating budget of state insurer PhilHealth is enough despite zero government subsidy for fiscal year 2025.

At a Palace press briefing following the signing into law of the P6.326-trillion national budget, Recto said the Department of Finance (DOF) would strictly monitor if PhilHealth will spend its budget wisely.

"Well, my understanding is that Congress did that because the budget for… the corporate operating budget of PhilHealth is sufficient. So, they have reserved funds of roughly 280 billion [pesos]. They have a surplus of roughly a hundred fifty billion, the last time I looked at it," Recto said.

"They have investments of more than 400 plus billion [pesos]. They will earn 200 billion in 2025. They will spend 150 billion. So iyong surplus nila, madadagdagan na naman ng 50 billion iyan. So, they have adequate resources (P50 billion will be added to their surplus. So, they have adequate resources)," he added.

Recto said the DOF would ensure that PhilHealth will spend its budget "better" as he eyed to focus on the top 10 illnesses affecting Filipinos.

Senate finance committee chairperson Grace Poe previously said PhilHealth would receive zero subsidy under the proposed 2025 national budget, saying the state insurer still has P600 billion in reserve funds which it can use.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. had said PhilHealth has enough funds to continue delivering services despite the proposed zero subsidy.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa earlier said the state insurer still has a P150-billion surplus from its 2024 budget that could pay for the subsidy of indirect members. The DOH, PhilHealth's supervising agency, earlier affirmed that services would remain uninterrupted.

For its part, PhilHealth had assured the public that it has sufficient funds to support beneficiaries, but had previously expressed hope that Marcos would reconsider the zero subsidy decision. — VDV, GMA Integrated News