President Rodrigo Duterte has directed the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) President Dante Gierran to pay the claims of private hospitals as soon as possible, Malacañang said on Thursday, Aug. 26.
Duterte gave the directive, as he acknowledged that the government could not afford to lose private hospitals, especially amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online press briefing.
“Inulit ni Presidente ang kautusan niya kay Atty. Gierran, bayaran niya nang bayaran dahil sa panahon ng pandemya (The President reiterated his directive to Atty. Gierran to pay the hospitals’ claims because amid the pandemic), we cannot afford to lose the cooperation of the private hospitals,” Roque said.
Hospital groups have threatened to cut ties with PhilHealth following the state insurer’s decision to suspend the reimbursement of claims to medical institutions under investigation for fraud.
Roque said Duterte has ordered PhilHealth to address the issue with private hospitals whose contribution amid the COVID-19 pandemic is significant since “60 percent to 70 percent” of health services come from them.
PhilHealth has issued Circular 2021-0013, ordering the suspension of payment of claims of hospitals and healthcare institutions that are subject of investigations for “fraud, unethical acts, and/or abuse of authority.”
Medical professionals have claimed that the issuance of PhilHealth’s circular has no basis and only seeks to further delay the payment of claims.
