Business leaders petition the Marcos administration to suspend the increase in contribution to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) indefinitely until complaints against the insurer’s services are addressed and its policies are overhauled.
In a position letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dated 26 February 26, officials of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), and the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT) said they welcome the opportunity for the President to review proposals to suspend the phased implementation of the Philhealth premium hike scheduled last month.
ECOP chairman Edgardo Lacson, PCCI president Enunina Mangio and PHILEXPORT president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. are opposed to the increase and seek an indefinite suspension instead because “we feel that contributions are wasted due to poor service and red tape, including allegations of corruption and mismanagement of funds.”
They said the pandemic has exposed the weaknesses in the system and its policies not likely addressed unless these are revamped.
“No less than Health secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa in news feeds expressed no rush in implementing the premium increase, since he finds that the agency still has sufficient funds to continue providing benefits and services to its members. This was affirmed by PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Emmanuel R. Ledesma,” the trio said. They also voiced serious concern over the “massive media hype” they said the agency has launched, adding this might lead the President to think that “all is well in this agency.”
“On the contrary, all these services and benefits are not even scratching the surface, as it is probably covering only a few thousand among its constituencies instead of the millions that it is supposed to cover,” the letter said.
The business leaders said while they support the Universal Healthcare Law, they also push for “a serious agency house cleaning first to help ensure that the funds, which employers and employees contribute to, and the agency as a whole, can appropriately and satisfactorily respond to the needs of its stakeholders now and in the future.”
In February, Malacañang has yet to approve the hike in PhilHealth premium under review, adding there should be additional benefits to all PhilHealth members with the adjustment.
Republic Act No. 1123 or the Universal Healthcare Act directs the PhilHeallth contribution rate to be raised by 0.5 percent annually beginning 2021 and continuing until it reaches 5 percent from 2024 to 2025.Marcos previously suspended the increase in income ceiling and premium rate for 2023.
