DOH: PhilHealth has sufficient funds

December 17, 2024 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Despite zero subsidy in 2025 for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., the Department of Health (DOH) is assuring the public that PhilHealth has sufficient funds.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa reported that PhilHealth still has a P150-billion surplus from its 2024 budget.

“There’s still so much left in the funds of PhilHealth, around P150 billion compared to P74 billion we’ve requested from the Congress for indirect contributors,” Herbosa said during yesterday’s flag-raising ceremony, adding that the insurer can easily pay the P74 billion intended for indirect contributors.

He debunked reports circulating on social media that PhilHealth had no funds without subsidy from the government, saying the reports were “erroneous.”

PhilHealth has a P284-billion budget for 2025, with the state health insurer only utilizing 63 percent of its budget allocation this year, according to Herbosa.

The health chief also noted that PhilHealth provides P5,000 for each of the 16 million indirect members which could only amount to P80 billion.

“What will we do with the P150-billion surplus? Keep it in the bank? PhilHealth’s budget will not easily run out and the government can still provide the benefits to its members,” Herbosa pointed out.

Labor group Partido ng Manggagawa yesterday asked President Marcos to veto the bicam version of the General Appropriations Act and restore PhilHealth’s subsidy.

Workers from various trade groups have also criticized the bicameral committee for not allocating any subsidy for PhilHealth.

“PhilHealth has excess funds since it is scrimping on benefits,” they said.

Meanwhile, House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas questioned yesterday the zero subsidy for PhilHealth in 2025, exposing the inevitable collapse of the insurance-based health care model while the Marcos administration diverts funds to patronage politics and corruption-prone infrastructure programs.

“The removal of PhilHealth subsidy is the final nail in the coffin of this failed insurance-based health care system. Without government support, the burden of sustaining PhilHealth will fall entirely on direct contributors while leaving millions of indirect contributors – our senior citizens, PWDs (persons with disabilities) and indigent Filipinos – vulnerable and exposed,” Brosas said.

She also criticized the government for treating health care like “a business by earning profits from the workers and the poor sector” instead of making it accessible for all.

“Passing the responsibility to the Filipinos the supposed obligation of the government is not the solution. This shows that the administration would rather have poor Filipinos beg for medical assistance than establish a proper health care system,” she noted.

Brosas warned that forcing PhilHealth to use its P600-billion reserve funds while removing government subsidies will lead to increased premium contributions and reduced benefits. — Jose Rodel Clapano