A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Friday urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to continuously improve its system in settling debts to prevent the accumulation of unpaid claims.
“The PhilHealth has to study how to improve its system in terms of attending to unpaid claims,” Rep. Ray Reyes of AnaKalusugan party-list group said.
“Now that they have settled their bills with the hospitals, they should make sure that this kind of lapses do not happen again so that the healthcare services due our people do not suffer,” he added.
The lawmaker made the statement after PhilHealth revealed that it already paid P50 billion worth of previously unsettled claims to hospitals and doctors in the last five months of 2023.
Reyes, vice chair of the House Committee on Health, also thanked the House leadership led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez for advancing the cause of PhilHealth members.
.”But the battle is not over yet. We think PhilHealth can provide many more benefits in accordance with the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Law,” he added.
Reyes had earlier urged PhilHealth to use its excess funds amounting to P200 billion in providing better healthcare services to the people.
He also called on PhilHealth to streamline its validating process and make it easier for Filipinos to avail of healthcare services.
“Due to the increase in the PhilHealth premium, our countrymen also expect higher healthcare coverage,” the lawmaker said.
“PhilHealth should focus on this and give every Filipino the service they deserve,” Reyes stressed.