黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senator Sonny Angara on Monday said there should be more managers and fraud investigators, and fewer doctors, in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) board following alleged cases of falsified claims for dialysis treatment.

鈥淟ike they say, maybe we don鈥檛 need more doctors in PhilHealth, we need more managers, we need more fraud investigators. Those type of professionals because we should transform (it into) a really professional insurance corporation,鈥� Angara said in an interview over CNN Philippines.

Two former employees of a Novaliches-based dialysis center earlier exposed that WellMed Dialysis Center (WellMed) claimed benefits for deceased clients from the PhilHealth.

搁贰础顿:听WellMed Dialysis Center denies claiming PhilHealth benefits for deceased clients

鈥淪inabi ni Senator JV (Ejercito), what we need is a good manager who can make sure the reserve is intact 鈥� that was one big concern at that time when we passed the Universal Health Care (bill). Nade-deplete 鈥榶ung reserve,鈥� Angara noted.

鈥淯nder the law, you鈥檙e supposed to 鈥� I think, you have an 18-month reserve at nauubos na 鈥榶un. So kailangan i-manage din 鈥榶ung mga ganung klase ng claims,鈥� he added.

Angara also expressed worries over the 鈥済host鈥� dialysis treatment controversy, especially after Congress approved the measure that would increase the excise tax on tobacco products.

Angara, who sponsored the bill increasing taxes on tobacco products, said the measure was approved to help fund the Universal Health Care Law.

鈥淭he higher tobacco taxes, which will聽raise maybe P130 billion over the next five years 鈥� kaya nga聽natin ipinasa 鈥榶un, para sa Universal Health Care (law). So bibigyan natin nang mas maraming pera and yet merong mga anomaly,鈥� Angara said.

The senator also called the controversy currently hounding PhilHealth 鈥渄isturbing.鈥�

鈥淭his money is meant for sick people, very poor and sick people. So talagang you鈥檙e taking away resources aside from the usual corruption that happens in government, this is particularly condemnable because you鈥檙e taking away money that鈥檚 meant for very sick and very poor people,鈥� Angara said.

PhilHealth previously said they will be hiring more fraud investigators to strengthen the agency鈥檚 legal department.

搁贰础顿:听Amid 鈥榞host鈥� dialysis mess, PhilHealth to hire fraud probers and lawyers

(Editor: Katherine G. Adraneda)