The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) assured all its members on Monday that their premiums shall be paid “with or without government subsidy” amid public concerns regarding its budget for 2025.
In a statement, PhilHealth president and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. said they respect the wisdom of the Bicameral Conference Committee in not allocating subsidy, knowing the agency’s capacity to “continue managing the National Health Insurance Program given its surplus funds.”
“Our financial position is strong and sufficient to sustain our operations, with a total of P281 billion in reserves and P150 billion in surplus funds as of October 2024. On the other hand, our investment portfolio as of November 2024 already reached P489 billion,” Ledesma explained.
Nevertheless, PhilHealth vowed to “do better” in the future to secure government subsidies, which are crucial in ensuring long-term improvements in designing more accessible benefit packages for its members.
“We are deeply aware of the impact healthcare costs have on Filipino families, and we remain dedicated to enhancing our benefits packages and reducing out-of-pocket expenses so that every patient feels the security of their health insurance,” Ledesma said.
He said Filipinos may rest assured that all their PhilHealth benefits “will continue to be paid, and will even improve.”
“PhilHealth stands with every Filipino in our shared goal of achieving universal health coverage and a healthcare system that you can always trust and rely on. Together, we will overcome these challenges and continue to strength our commitment to your health and well-being,” PhilHealth noted.
