Updated on February 12 at 2:25AM
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) should bear more of the costs of hospitalization, including medical bills and doctors’ fees incurred by patients admitted in private hospitals, Speaker Martin Romualdez said Sunday.
This may entail increasing the members’ contributions to expand their benefits, which Romualdez wants to discuss with PhilHealth and Department of Health officials, as many have complained that the state-owned insurance provider does not offer enough healthcare coverage.
“We get asked a lot if it is possible for PhilHealth to shoulder the billing and doctors’ fees once [patients] get admitted to a private room or in a pay ward,” said Romualdez.
According to the Speaker, the chief complaint of patients, especially the indigent ones, is that PhilHealth is only paying 15- to 20-percent of medical bills in government hospitals and private medical institutions, especially if they are admitted in private wards.
In terms of professional fees of physicians and medical specialists, Romualdez said his office received complaints that PhilHealth only subsidizes 30 percent for private hospital patients.
“Not all patients who get hospitalized end up in free or charity wards because charity beds run out quickly,” Romualdez explained, adding he wants to talk to the concerned officials to check the exact benefits being received by members confined in private hospitals.
“People are asking PhilHealth to shoulder half of the bill if they get admitted to private hospitals, so the members can just pay the remaining half,” he added.
Dr. Jose Degrano, president of the Private Hospital Association of the Philippines (PHAP), agreed with Romualdez. He said this will greatly benefit a lot of people.
“Most of the patients who get admitted to hospitals end up in the pay ward because the hospital beds in a charity ward run out fast,” Degrano said.
“Paying for doctors’ fees is also a burden,” he added.
As the leader of the House of Representatives, Romualdez said he will find a way to make this happen without having to go through the process of legislation.
“We will find a solution on how to grant this request of our countrymen without going through legislation because it might take a while,” he declared.
“Definitely, we hear our constituents. Therefore, we have to do something about it,” Romualdez stated.