A solon is saying that Congress will help seek funds to bail out the financially-distressed Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth).
Quezon City fourth district Rep. Angelina Tan says the legislative branch will look for funds to help Philhealth stay afloat and avert the possible shutdown of the state-run health insurance provider by 2022.
“Definitely, ‘yung Congress hahanap ng paraan pero up to what extent, like for example ‘yung target nila for the succeeding years, I don’t think kaya talagang I-provide,” Tan said in an interview aired over ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.
Tan said while the allegations of corruption in Philhealth are not new, the financial health of the agency is a concern considering the implementation of the Universal Health Care law.
Philhealth Acting Senior Vice President Nerissa Santiago told the Senate Committee of the Whole in an investigation hearing last Wednesday, August 5, 2020, the agency may fall into a deficit with no more reserved funds by next year.
She said Philhealth expects a net operating loss of P90 billion in 2020 and expects to lose about P147 billion in losses by 2021.
Moreover, Santiago said the only way the state-run health insurance provider stave off stoppage of operation is for government to provide subsidies.
“We can only survive with additional contributions coming from the government,” she told the Senators in the Senate hearing.