Agri party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee has reiterated his call to immediately apply the 30 percent across-the-board increases in health benefits being offered by the government-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), saying that any delay in implementing such benefit is an injustice to the people.
“Nalulungkot at nadidismay a po tayo na mukhang mauuna pang maipatupad ang dagdag na singil sa premium ng PhilHealth doon sa matagal na nating panawagan na 30 percent increase sa lahat ng benefit packages and coverage ng ahensya (We are saddened and dismayed that implementation of the increase in PhilHealth premium would take precedence over the 30 percent increase in PhilHealth benefits),” Lee said.
“Habang pinatatagal ang pagpapatupad ng hinihingi nating increase, marami ang pinipiling tiisin na lang ang karamdaman kaysa magpagamot at marami din ang di-magkandaugaga sa pag-aalala kung saan kukuha ng pambayad sa ospital (While they prolong implementation of the increase in benefits, several patients opt to just suffer their sickness while others are at a loss on where to get the money pay their hospital bills),” he said in Filipino.
The PhilHealth on Friday announced that its premium rate will increase to 5 percent from the previous 4 percent. The state health insurer said that P17-B will be collected as an additional revenue of the agency due to the increased premium rates to be used in expanding the benefits and programs it offers to members.
Even before the scheduled increase on PhilHealth premium rates, Lee has consistently stressed that the agency had the funds to cover much-needed increases in members’ benefits.
It can be recalled that in September last year during the DOH budget briefing, Lee revealed that PhilHealth had P466 billion worth of investible funds and P68.4 billion net income. Given these available funds, he urged the agency to expand its healthcare package offered to the people..
In a letter addressed to PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. on October 2023, Lee requested in writing and recommended to the PhilHealth management a 30-percent increase in all benefit packages and coverage provided by the corporation.
“Anong pakinabang ng sobra-sobrang pondo sa PhilHealth kung natutulog lang ito sa bangko at hindi nagagamit pandagdag sa serbisyo para sa mga miyembro? Malaking kasalanan at inhustisya ito kung hindi agad gamitin para tulungan at pagaanin ang pasanin ng mga nangangailangan (What are the benefits of having so much PhilHealth funds that are left idle in the banks instead of being used for the benefits of its members. This is a great misdeed and an injustice to the people who needed the money most),” Lee stressed.
Lee also filed House Resolution No. 1407 on October 2023 urging the PhilHealth to adjust its coverage since its case rate has not been reviewed for over a decade and is no longer responsive to the hospitalization cost of the beneficiaries.
Lee stated that due to inflation, the people are complaining over increases in prices.
For example, room rates in hospitals have increased—from P1 ,000 to P1,500. And the rate case being used by PhilHealth a in computing its share of the health services has been in existence for all years now and badly needed to be revisited, Lee said.
The lawmaker also said that PhilHealth should have no limit on its covered dialysis sessions, chemotherapy, heart bypass surgery, and other diagnostic tests and preventive measures to ease the burden of patients and their families.