Poe wants PhilHealth to shoulder what gov't owes health workers

MANILA – The unutilized funds of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) should be allotted to the government's remaining balance to the health emergency allowance (HEA) of health workers, Senator Grace Poe said on Wednesday.

Based on the figures presented by Finance Secretary Ralph Recto during the second briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) to the Senate Finance panel, PhilHealth's net income has been growing from P4 billion in 2019; P30 billion in 2020; P48 billion in 2021; and P79 billion in 2022.

By the end of 2024, Recto said PhilHealth would have a net income of P61 billion.

"With its increasing net income annually, PhilHealth should now shoulder the remaining payables of the government to our health workers," Poe said.

"Kinukuha na natin sa PhilHealth ngayon ang dapat napunta na sa ating health workers noon pa (We are now taking from PhilHealth what should have been given to our health workers long ago)," she added.

Meanwhile, Recto revealed that PhilHealth was also not able to utilize its savings even during the pandemic which should have been used for health expenditures like the HEA.

"It was during the pandemic as well that PhilHealth had a lot of savings because it was the national government who spent for the pandemic. We did not use resources from PhilHealth, which is essentially the reserved funds are really for an emergency like a pandemic," he said.

Recto also said the reserve funds of PhilHealth could have also reduced the amount of borrowings of the national government during the pandemic.

He recommended for the government corporation to improve its benefit packages to better utilize funds for its members. (PNA)