THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will push through with the rollout of new benefit packages for members despite a lack of additional funds.
The state insurer issued the statement following an order of President Marcos Jr. to suspend an increase in members’ contributions scheduled this year. The increase had been intended to fund new and expanded package of benefits.
“The new benefit packages for roll-out, which were scheduled to be sourced from the premium increase, shall be implemented as planned,” said PhilHealth acting president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. In a statement yesterday.
“The management was directed to employ the necessary strategies to ensure implementation of these benefits,” he said a day after the PhilHealth board met to tackle the effects of the President’s order on benefits being received and to be received by members.
Among the benefit packages cited by the PhilHealth chief are those for outpatient therapeutic care for severe acute malnutrition, outpatient package for mental health, and comprehensive outpatient benefit.
PhilHealth failed to say where shall it source the funds for the additional benefit packages.
Ledesma stressed that PhilHealth’s financial standing remains strong with or without the premium rate hike.
“The management is confident that, notwithstanding the suspension of the increase in premium rates, PhilHealth is more than able to meet its financial obligations to its members and partner health care providers,” said Ledesma.
As provided by the Universal Health Care Act passed in 2019, the increase in premium rate started in 2020 at 3 percent. It was supposed to be followed by a hike to 3.5 percent in 2021, to 4 percent in 2022, to 4.5 percent in 2023, and to 5 percent by 2024.
In 2021, PhilHealth suspended the rate hike due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, PhilHealth implemented a raise in the contributions to 4 percent.
Earlier in the week, Malacañang announced the President’s decision to suspend the increase this year, because of economic difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic.
