PhilHealth has sufficient funds, Marcos assures public
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday assured the public that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has enough funds to continue delivering services to its members.
Marcos made the assurance during the Trabaho at Serbisyong Pangkalusugan sa Bagong Pilipinas fair at the Antipolo Sports Hub in Antipolo City, Rizal.
“Sinabay na rin namin ‘yung PhilHealth. Dinala namin dito. Alam niyo po maraming nag-aalala dahil sinasabi, wala ng pondo ang PhilHealth para tulungan ang mga may sakit sa atin. Hindi po totoo ‘yun (We also brought PhilHealth along. We brought it here. You know, many are worried because they say that PhilHealth has no funds to help our sick people. That is not true),” he said.
Marcos stressed that the state insurer continues to improve healthcare access for its members by enhancing benefit packages.
“Mas lumaki ang pambayad sa insurance, mas marami pa ang serbsiyo na ibinibigay ng PhilHealth (The payment for insurance has increased, and PhilHealth provides more services),” he said.
“Napakamahal minsan magpagamot kaya nandiyan po ang PhilHealth. Nandiyan po sila upang tanggapin lahat po ng impormasyon ninyo at ilalagay po nila sa kanilang data center at makakapagbigay po sila ng PhilHealth ID (Sometimes it is very expensive to get medical treatment, that is why PhilHealth is there. They are there to receive all your information and they will put it in their data center and they will be able to provide you with a PhilHealth ID),” Marcos added.
The Supreme Court on Thursday concluded the oral arguments on the transfer of PHP89.9 billion in excess funds from PhilHealth to the national treasury.
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said the move to redirect PhilHealth’s excess funds is “legal, moral, and economically sound”.
PhilHealth on Wednesday announced its plan to raise its coverage of hospital costs for members to 18 percent by 2025 and increase it further to 28 percent by 2028.
In January 2025, the state insurer also launched additional and expanded health benefit packages that its members could avail of starting this year.
The new benefits include the ischemic heart disease-acute myocardial infarction, Z Package for peritoneal dialysis, Z Package for kidney transplantation, preventive oral health services, outpatient emergency care benefit, and 50-percent adjustment in case rates packages.
