LAWMAKERS have pressed for a thorough congressional probe on the real financial status of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. following a controversial circular issued by the health insurance agency which effectively made it nearly impossible for local government units to sustain payment of premiums for their beneficiaries.
House Assistant Majority Leader and Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles and Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento underscored the need to look into PhilHealth’s new payment scheme as he raised the possibility that the country’s only public health insurance system could be in deep financial trouble.
Nograles, a member of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, said the PhilHealth circular increasing LGU PhilHealth contributions by as much as 100 percent is “just too drastic and absolutely shocking.”
“This increase makes you think that PhilHealth is in trouble and is no longer financially sound. It’s too drastic an increase. I think that PhilHealth should bear in mind that it was created to be the government’s primary instrument to ensure that quality health care is accessible to all,” Nograles said.
Nograles added that LGU-sponsored PhilHealth beneficiaries are poor and live in subsistence conditions and this plan to double the cost of premiums would definitely defeat the very purpose of creating a government health insurance company like PhilHealth.
“PhilHealth was not created so that the government can make profit. If you increase the rates, many of the estimated 3.8 million Filipinos sponsored by the LGUs are in danger of being delisted as PhilHealh members because our LGUs can no longer afford paying their premiums. That does not really attain the universal coverage targets mandated by the PhilHealth law,” he said.
Sarmiento, member of the House committee on local government, joined the call to probe PhilHealth as he noted that this move to adjust premium cost by as much as 100 percent for LGUs and self-paying members could sabotage the government’s effort to expand the coverage of PhilHealth and make it accessible to all. –Maricel Cruz, Manila Standard Today
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands
#Report Corruption #SearchPosts #TakePicturesVideos
October –
Monthly Observances:
Industry and Commerce Safety Month
National Statistics Month
Local Government Month
Consumer Welfare Month
Cooperative Month
National Quality and Productivity Improvement Month
National Health and Wellness Tourism Month
National Indigenous Peoples Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Elderly Filipino Week
Week 2: National Health Education Week
Local Government Week
National Mental Health Week
October 17-23:
National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty
October 18 – 24:
United Nations Week
Last Week:
Nurses’ Week
Consumers’ Protection Week
Week of the 4th Sunday:
Barrio Farmers’ Week
Daily Observances:
First Monday (Oct 4): Universal Children’s Day i
n the Philippines
Oct 5: National Teachers’ Day
Oct 10: Local Government Day
Third Thursday (Oct 14): Conflict Resolution Day
Oct 21: Tenants’ Emancipation day
Oct 24: United Nations Day
Oct 29: National Indigenous People’s Thanksgiving Day
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