“But could the government really call the money belonging to the country’s health insurance excess funds?”
REGARDLESS of the reasons given by the Department of Finance in transferring PhilHealth insurance funds to the national treasury, it should not have been done.
It was misguided, sends the wrong signals and could be illegal.
If indeed PhilHealth is overflowing with money, why is it not being flowed back to the masses that it serves by way of more medical benefits to improve public health care?
The data simply does not support what the DOF is saying.
Instead, people continue to struggle with high cost of hospitalizations and medicines.
According to data from the World Health Organization, more than 50 per cent of Filipinos are unable to access medical help within 30 minutes from where they live which means the country is lacking hospitals in the rural areas.
The country’s health care system is also considered average out of 165 countries that were part of one study.
As of 2023, the country spent something like 11,083 per capita on health care, well below countries in the ASEAN region like Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.
Also in 2022, the total health expenditure of the country was P1.20T or 5.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product which looks impressive.
But this is actually I.4 percent lower than the P1.22T spent in 2021.
So, instead of increasing, health care expenditure actually went down debunking what the DOF is saying of more benefits. These figures therefore are not something to crow about.
With all the money in the hands of PhilHealth, the country should be able to afford a near universal health care system benefiting every citizen in need.
Currently, however, the public continues to be plagued with inadequate and uneven availability of health care.
Something must be amiss with the financial health of the national government.
If the DOF finds it necessary to raid PhilHealth funds, to support unprogrammed government projects, this could only mean that all is not well with our government finances.
Statements from the DOF particularly from Secretary Ralph Recto that continues to paint a rosy picture of our state of economy may not be as accurate as he would want the public to believe.
As it is, the voice of dissent is not going down and it would do well for the good Secretary to pay more attention to the issues raised by those opposing the move instead of simply ignoring them.
Otherwise, this issue might really end up in the Supreme Court as some are already threatening.
As of this writing, the Department of Finance already transferred on May 10, P20B from PhilHealth to the national treasury.
This was followed with another P10B on Aug. 21.
Another P30B will follow in October, culminating in another P29.9B in November for a total P89.9B.
These funds have been euphemistically termed as excess PhilHealth funds and most of these will apparently go in fulfilling the government promise of increased government pay, the promised allowances of health care workers and infrastructure projects to reach the projected economic growth target of 6 to 7 per cent.
But could the government really call the money belonging to the country’s health insurance excess funds?
After all, there are many people, especially the poor, crying out for more assistance from PhilHealth.
For example, medicines accounts for almost two thirds of all health spending and about three quarters among the poor.
Since the cost of medicines are so high, why can’t PhilHealth funds be used to subsidize the cost of medications especially those with chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure that requires regular medications including kidney dialysis which are so expensive?
The cost of consultation alone has also become so expensive.
These are actually what health advocates want to happen.
If the national government must raid the coffers of the PhilHealth, the funds should flow back for health care purposes regardless whether these funds are subsidies coming from the government and not premiums.
I do not think we have seen the end of this issue.
The government will simply go ahead with what it wants to do in spite of valid objections but, ultimately, this issue will be decided by the jury of voters this coming 2025 elections.
