• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Senator Juan Victor Ejercito yesterday called on the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) why its budget allocation has not been properly utilized with the agency having P89.9 billion excess funds.
“This is a significant oversight on the part of PhilHealth as many hospitals remain unpaid,” said Ejercito.
He said that the national government must ensure that a portion of unused funds from PhilHealth will be used to prioritize health sector programs and projects.
“Ang pondong pangkalusugan ay nararapat lamang gamitin para sa mga programang pangkalusugan. Bilang may-akda at sponsor ng UHC Act, naniniwala po tayo na dapat nating mas palawakin pa ang mga health benefit packages ng programa at pababain ang mga premium rate ng PhilHealth,” Ejercito said.
He pointed out that the UHC Act is the best hope to bring quality health care to every Filipino.
Ejercito is also confident that Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, as principal author of the Universal Health Care Law, will ensure that the unused funds will be properly allocated for the health sector.
UHC automatically enrolls all Filipino citizens in the National Health Insurance Program and prescribes complementary reforms in the health system.
In a statement, Recto said the government cannot afford to let government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) have excess money and just keep it idle, as such funds could be used instead for public investment.
“Hibernating funds can help the nation without harming government corporations. This way, the government does not have to inflict additional taxes, increase our debt and put pressure on our deficit,” Recto said.
Recto argued that such a move will not affect the viability of PhilHealth or impair its delivery of services. | GB
