Lack of govt subsidy won’t impact Philhealth coverage

PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma assured that the agency can pay health benefits for all Filipinos, even without government subsidies. “The bicameral conference committee’s decision reflects its wisdom. They understand PhilHealth’s capacity to manage the program with its surplus funds. Our financial position is strong and sufficient for operations,” Ledesma said at a congressional hearing. He added that PhilHealth has P281 billion in reserves, P150 billion in surplus, and an investment portfolio of P489 billion. “We remain committed to improving benefits and reducing out-of-pocket expenses for Filipinos,” he concluded.