PhilHealth appeals to public to report cases of “upcasing”
or any health insurance abuse
Noting the proliferation of video posts supposedly relating to incidents of health care providers colluding with patients to declare minor respiratory symptoms such as asthma as Covid-19 to claim higher benefits, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has announced that it will be investigating such claims. The agency also enjoined those who posted their videos to provide the necessary proof and fully cooperate in the probe.
The state health insurer said that the incidents described in the video posts seem to refer to ‘upcasing’ or claiming for a related illness or procedure of higher severity or complexity to gain higher benefit payment. Upcasing is a form of health insurance fraud punishable with a fine of P200,000 for each count, or suspension of contract up to three (3) years of the health care provider, or both. It also constitutes a criminal violation punishable by imprisonment for 6 months and 1 day up to 6 years upon the discretion of the court in accordance to Section 38 of the Universal Health Care Law.
PhilHealth reminded the public that protecting the PhilHealth fund is also a responsibility of every member. It appealed to everyone who is in possession of credible information on such unethical and criminal acts to report directly to PhilHealth together with evidence so that the agency can act swiftly.
PhilHealth also reiterated that the National Health Insurance Fund is a public fund, and any form of abuse shall be dealt with in accordance with the law. It also warned that those who post such information without any proof to support their claims are not helping the public be at ease in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. They instead malign and compromise the reputation of hospitals, doctors and even the agency itself. Such acts may lead to legal actions such as cyber libel and violation of Article 154 of the Penal Code which criminalizes publication of false information that may endanger the public order or cause damage to the interest or credit of the State.
Concerned citizens and whistleblowers are encouraged to report such cases through the following:
Face-to-face meetings (observing minimum health protocols): Nearest PhilHealth offices
Email:whistleblower@philhealth.gov.ph; actioncenter@philhealth.gov.ph;opceo@philhealth.gov.ph
Mail: Room 1711, 17th Floor Citystate Centre, 709 Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City
Telephone: (02) 8441-7442
PhilHealth assures utmost confidentiality of reports as well as protection and possible assistance to the whistleblower as provided for by law.
Security Bank bags 7 awards at Quill Awards
Security Bank Corp. (SBC) was feted at the recently held 18th Philippine Quill Awards, taking home four Awards of Excellence and three Awards of Merit.
The bank took home Awards of Excellence for the 2020 Security Bank Economic Forum, the employee newsletter Bankers’ Bond, the bank’s COVID-focused Internal Communications program and the Build a School, Build a Nation project of Security Bank Foundation Inc. (SBFI), the bank’s corporate social responsibility arm.
The bank also won three Awards of Merit for its Paseo De Roxas Underpass Mural initiative, its 2019 Annual Financial and Sustainability Report and SBFI’s Regalo Mo, Kinabukasan Ko scholarship program.
Every year, SBC organizes a yearly economic forum as part of its efforts to arm business leaders with information that will guide them in making the best business and financial decisions.
The bank’s internal communications campaigns, on the other hand, has helped maintain business continuity, sustain productivity and inspire engagement. SBC also utilized its internal newsletter Bankers’ Bond to keep employees abreast of significant developments within the organization.
The “Build a School, Build a Nation: The Classrooms Project” has been helping the government address classrooms shortage by constructing classrooms in areas where Security Bank has a presence. “Regalo Mo, Kinabukasan Ko” provides scholarships for SBC’s agency workers and their children. Both projects are managed by SBFI.
The Paseo Underpass Mural project, on the other hand, is an example of how a financial institution marries financial service excellence with a deep passion for philanthropy — captured by its message of “BetterBanking for a Better World”.
Pru Life UK receives four Golden Arrows
Pru Life UK was bestowed four Golden Arrows award by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), marking another milestone in the company’s history of good performance on the Asean Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS).
For four consecutive years, Pru Life UK has consistently ranked first among Insurance Commission (IC)-regulated companies based on the overall governance scores determined by the ICD.
The ICD implemented the ACGS to raise corporate governance standards and practices and showcase well-governed Asean publicly-listed companies. The assessment is based on publicly available information and benchmarked against international best practices to encourage listed companies to go beyond local regulatory requirements.
The ACGS was adopted by the Philippine insurance industry to enhance its competitiveness, improve public perception, and increase its penetration rate. The IC prescribed the assessment, enjoining participating companies to publicly disclose the necessary information and supporting documents on their company websites
Framedia introduces digital learning innovation
Framedia Inc. which pioneered the first full-service anti-money laundering (AML) certification in the country has created the Immersive e-Learning Module Series which revolutionized the way AML training is done.
Framedia digitized AMLC-approved content to ensure access to essential training and education is not lost during the pandemic. AML training is key in the prevention, detection, and reporting of money-laundering and terrorist-financing crimes.
The mandatory awareness-level training for all covered persons is done via an online training platform which provides easy to navigate training modules, able to be completed in a self-paced manner, allowing participants to focus on the interactive learning material at their most convenient time. On successful completion they will be rewarded with a legitimate, authentic and AMLC-verified certificate which can be downloaded and printed. Successful completion is also notified to AMLC directly, updating their records on compliant persons.
Grab announces GrabForGood Fund
Grab Holdings has unveiled plans for the GrabForGood Fund that seeks to support programs that will have lasting impact on the quality of life for its driver-, delivery- and merchant-partners, and the broader community of Southeast Asia.
Grab will seed the fund with $50 million in cash and $200 million in expected value of Grab shares. In addition, Grab Group CEO and co-founder Anthony Tan, co-founder Tan Hooi Ling and president Ming Maa have pledged a combined $25 million in personal contribution of Grab shares (expected value). This brings the total initial fund size to $275 million, based on today’s value expectations.
The Fund will support a mix of programs aimed at delivering long-term social and environmental impact, including in areas such as education, financial support for underserved communities, and environmental issues.
As an immediate commitment, Grab has allocated up to $20 million in cash from the fund to fully subsidize the cost of Covid-19 vaccines and vaccine administration of eligible1 driver- and delivery-partners who are not covered by a national vaccination program.
New offer from Agoda
Digital travel platform Agoda has launched Agoda Special Offers (ASO) globally, following soft launches in key Asia markets.
The Agoda Special Offers product is supported by dedicated landing pages across 10 markets and more than 1,700 hotels are on board to help meet consumers’ desire for extra perks with their stays.
According to a recent Agoda customer survey, receiving additional perks, such as free room upgrades and early check-in, is the second most important factor in a customers’ travel decision after price. Hotel partners can now easily offer these desired benefits on Agoda, as well as leverage its platform’s global reach to amplify these promotions to a wider range of customers loyal to the Agoda brand.
Safe, secure & efficient vaccine distribution
Cisco Philippines is currently in discussion with several local government units and organizations that are eligible for the Cisco Meraki COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Solution and is open to onboarding more that are looking for viable solutions for their vaccination programs.
As vaccine doses start arriving in the Philippines, Cisco expects their solution roll-out to begin in the next few months. Cisco Meraki Vaccine Distribution Solution will equip healthcare providers with tools to facilitate COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
The Cisco Meraki COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Solution is a suite of smart technology including temperature and humidity sensors, door open/close sensors, sensor cameras, wireless access points, and other networking devices devices. The solution addresses three critical challenges: physical security; capability to setup mobile and remote vaccine distribution sites and management of traffic flow.
This solution from Cisco is part of its country digitalization acceleration program in the Philippines dubbed as UGNAYAN 2030, a collaboration framework with government leaders, industry, and academia.
