DoH chief assures public PhilHealth has enough funds
THE Department of Health (DoH) on Monday clarified that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has a budget for 2025. Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa issued the clarification after Congress did not allocate a single centavo for the state insurer's budget. Herbosa noted that PhilHealth has a budget of P284 billion and that only the government subsidy was removed. "PhilHealth did not lose its budget for 2025. There is, in fact, a budget. The PhilHealth Board is set to approve a significant budget of P284 billion for 2025. The only thing that has been removed is the government subsidy," the health chief said in a statement in Filipino. "The PhilHealth is still capable of providing the benefits for its members. No one will lose their benefits. There are people who are sowing fear. PhilHealth still has a lot of money," he said. Out of the P284 billion, which is about as big as the allocation for the DoH, P273 billion will go to benefit expenses, P12 billion to administrative expenses, and P300 million for capital outlay. Herbosa said the hospitals and primary care facilities are the ones providing medical and health services for members, and the sole role of PhilHealth is to pay them. The bicameral conference committee last week moved to completely scrap the P74-billion subsidy for the National Health Insurance Program — money which would have been used to pay for the benefits of the 16 million indirect contributors — senior citizens, persons with disabilities, indigents, 4Ps beneficiaries and other citizens without the capacity to pay. "No benefits will be lost. Those who are spreading fear and agitation by claiming that PhilHealth benefits will disappear simply want the public to panic. PhilHealth has sufficient funds," Herbosa said.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
THE Department of Health (DoH) on Monday clarified that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has a budget for 2025.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa issued the clarification after Congress did not allocate a single centavo for the state insurer's budget.
Herbosa noted that PhilHealth has a budget of P284 billion and that only the government subsidy was removed.
"PhilHealth did not lose its budget for 2025. There is, in fact, a budget. The PhilHealth Board is set to approve a significant budget of P284 billion for 2025. The only thing that has been removed is the government subsidy," the health chief said in a statement in Filipino.
"The PhilHealth is still capable of providing the benefits for its members. No one will lose their benefits. There are people who are sowing fear. PhilHealth still has a lot of money," he said.
Out of the P284 billion, which is about as big as the allocation for the DoH, P273 billion will go to benefit expenses, P12 billion to administrative expenses, and P300 million for capital outlay.
Herbosa said the hospitals and primary care facilities are the ones providing medical and health services for members, and the sole role of PhilHealth is to pay them.
The bicameral conference committee last week moved to completely scrap the P74-billion subsidy for the National Health Insurance Program — money which would have been used to pay for the benefits of the 16 million indirect contributors — senior citizens, persons with disabilities, indigents, 4Ps beneficiaries and other citizens without the capacity to pay.
"No benefits will be lost. Those who are spreading fear and agitation by claiming that PhilHealth benefits will disappear simply want the public to panic. PhilHealth has sufficient funds," Herbosa said.
