HEALTH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa yesterday disagreed with calls for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to suspend the collection of premium contributions for is year.
However, he also said the proposal will be assessed and evaluated if the funding of PhilHealth can handle it.”
In a radio interview, Herbosa said the state-run health insurer is in the midst of improving its benefit packages.
It will be impractical to increase the benefits while there is moratorium in the premium contribution,” said Herbosa, who also serves as chairman of the PhilHealth board.
“It’s either there will be a moratorium but we would withhold the improvement of benefits, or vice versa. But it cannot be both,” he added.
Earlier, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo urged PhilHealth to seriously consider a one-year moratorium on its premium collections. She said this should be considered because PhilHealth has massive excess funds which it can use to maximize member benefits.
PhilHealth has ordered the 50 percent adjustment in the case rates of selected medical benefits of its members beginning January 1.
PhilHealth has said the improvement of benefits is part of the agency’s efforts to lower the out-of-pocket expenses of its members.