Health care groups seek stop to 'raid' on PhilHealth funds

MEMBERS of health care groups led by the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) held a protest outside the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) on Tuesday against another transfer of funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth). That is because, on Wednesday, the National Treasury is set to acquire another P30 billion from PhilHealth's P89.9 billion in excess funds. HEAD, in a statement, called on health workers, professionals and advocates, as well as all Filipinos, to oppose and stop the supposed "raid" of the PhilHealth funds. The health groups said the first tranche of P20 billion was transferred on May 10, 2024 and the second tranche of P10 billion on August 21. The final P29.9 billion is set in November. The one on Wednesday would be the third tranche. They also supported the petitions filed in the Supreme Court by the Bayan Muna party-list and from Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III with the Philippine Medical Association "and some doctors and health advocates against the transfer of PhilHealth funds." The Supreme Court is set to have oral arguments on the transfer by January 14 next year, by which time all funds will have been transferred if there is no temporary restraining order. HEAD called the "raid" of PhilHealth funds "illegal, unjust and immoral." "The government has no moral grounds to dip into the PhilHealth funds when it could not even solve and hold accountable all those involved in PhilHealth anomalies and scandals and would not prioritize funding public health. Public funds should not be used for pork barrel-like 'priority programs' that only feed the corrupt and deliver profits to the bureaucrats and their big foreign and local business partners," HEAD said. "The government is feasting on PhilHealth's 'excess funds' while the poor Filipino majority suffer from expensive and inaccessible health services. Most public hospitals and facilities are severely underfunded, understaffed and underequipped," it added. "Paying PhilHealth members cough out increasing premiums while benefit consists of a very small fraction of hospitalization or treatment bills. Many doctors and private hospitals complain of delayed reimbursements." The health groups also emphasized that PhilHealth was allotted public funds by the national government. "In 2023, the PhilHealth budget allotment of P100 billion was higher than the P65.5 billion total budget allotment for all [Department of Health] public hospitals and facilities in Metro Manila and the regions," they said. "For 2025, despite the alleged 'excess funds,' the Marcos administration wants to give PhilHealth another P74.43 billion while all 82 DoH-retained national and regional hospitals are only allotted a total of P94.76 billion. The P89.9 billion 'excess funds' could have almost doubled the budget allotment... to these public hospitals," the groups added. "Instead of raiding the PhilHealth coffers, the government should put public funds where they are needed most by the people. Not in the pockets and campaign purse of corrupt officials, but directly to public hospitals and public health services." Members of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) joined the protest. Meanwhile, the Health Workers party-list also voiced its opposition to the transfer. "In the proposed national budget for 2025, the total budget for over 80 DoH retained national and regional hospitals is only P94 billion. Allocating the P89.9 billion here would nearly double the budget for public hospitals," first nominee Robert Mendoza said in Filipino. "This would greatly aid in improving facilities, providing additional medical supplies and equipment, and medicines, as well as offering livable wages to health workers, benefits, and hiring more regular health workers with plantilla positions to alleviate severe understaffing and enhance services in public hospitals," he added. In July, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the unused funds of PhilHealth were not from members' funds but belonged to the government.