SENATE minority leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Ricardo Morales. president and chief executive officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) can be held liable for negligence for the agency’s overpayment of COVID-19 tests to hospital and service providers.
He also called for a reshuffle at the PhilHealth, saying it is not the first time irregularities were discovered in the agency.
Drilon, in an interview with radio dzBB, said Duque and Morales failed to look into the overpayment of COVID-19 tests even if other hospitals and service providers charge much less.
PhilHealth pays hospitals and facilities P8,150 for every COVID-19 test. The Philippine Red Cross charges between P3,500 and P4,000 while other testing centers charge only around P2,500.
Morales last week said the agency will conduct a review, after Drilon questioned the rates, while Duque has clarified that the cost of testing package to be shouldered by PhilHealth actually ranges from P2,710 to P8,150, depending on whether the test kit was donated or bought by the hospital.
“They (Duque and Morales) failed to exercise the diligence of the good father of a family. Iyan ang prinsipyo sa batas. Ibig sabihin, kulang sila sa pag-aalaga ng mga bagay na kailangan nila nang husto,” Drilon said.
He said Duque in particular is a burden in the government’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic because of his alleged incompetence. He said if people do not have confidence in the health secretary, they would not follow regulations being issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Drilon said a reshuffle is needed at PhilHealth of which Duque is chairman.
In June last year, a dialysis center in Novaliches, Quezon City was found to have been defrauding PhilHealth by filing claims for patients who have died. PhilHealth has filed 28 counts of administrative cases for the center’s claims for non-admitted/treated patients, misrepresentation by furnishing false or incorrect information, and breach of warranties of accreditation/performance commitment against the mentioned dialysis center. It also filed several counts of offenses against physicians for possible involvement.
“Sa aking tingin doon pa lang ay nakikita natin ay may prima facie case na, may kalokohan. Kaya mabuting i-reorganize na muna at kung may makitang kaso, i-file na. Kailangan bantayan natin ang imbestigasyon dahil kapag hindi binantayan ito ng media, makakalimutan na (For me, there is prima facie case [in the overpayment of COVID-19 tests], there is irregularity. It’s best if PhilHealth will be reorganized and if evidence warrants, file a case. We also need to constantly monitor the investigation, otherwise it may be forgotten),” he said.
Last month, 14 senators filed a resolution calling for the resignation of Duque for his “failure of leadership, negligence, lack of foresight, and inefficiency in performance” but President Duterte opted to retain the health secretary.
Drilon earlier flagged the overpriced PhilHealth COVID-19 package and said government stands to lose some P8.3 billion as authorities plan to test around 2 million individuals.
President Duterte has ordered an investigation into the overpriced COVID-19 tests paid by PhilHealth.
