THE Nagkaisa Labor Coalition (Nagkaisa) yesterday called for the resignation of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma and Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa for their alleged lack of action on the removal of subsidy funds of the state-run health insurer.
In a statement, NAGKAISA said there is a need for PhilHealth to undergo a major revamp since its operations has been supposedly penetrated by patronage politics.
“We demand the immediate resignation of the agency’s entire leadership, including its concurrent chairman (of the board),” said Nagkaisa.
“As the cornerstone of the country’s universal healthcare program, PhilHealth must remain adequately managed by competent and accountable leaders,” it also said.
The labor coalition stressed that allowing the defunding of PhilHealth due to political issues is unacceptable. “If Congress can attack PhilHealth this way today, it can destroy it even further in favor of patronage politics,” it added.
“It’s not the government but the PhilHealth members who are entitled to zero out-of-pocket expense for medical care. It is, therefore, the duty of Congress and the Executive to make this social objective a reality,” it also said.
Nagkaisa likewise alleged that the PhilHealth leadership has purportedly neglected its mandate to provide healthcare coverage, especially to the poor.
The statements of Nagkaisa comes after lawmakers approved a zero subsidy for PhilHealth in the 2025 national budget.
Nagkaisa said the subsidy funding of PhilHealth is used to cover the premiums of indirect contributors, such as the poor, senior citizens, and unemployed.
Critics have said that without funding for the indirect contributors, direct contributors, many of whom are from the working class, will bear the sole burden of funding PhilHealth.
Nagkaisa also urged President Marcos Jr. to veto Congress’ zero subsidy, saying the President should take it upon himself to restore the allocated subsidy of the state insurer.
“Nagkaisa is urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto the bicameral decision, and restore the allocated budget for PhilHealth,” it said.
Meanwhile, health reform advocate Dr. Tony Leachon challenged Herbosa to stand up for the slashed PhilHealth budget of merely taking it lying down.
In a social media post, Leachon, who briefly served as Herbosa’s special adviser for non-communicable diseases, said it is imperative for the health chief to fight for the right of PhilHealth to be allocated subsidy funds from the national budget.
“Sec. Ted you need to show moral courage to defend the Filipino people from the politics of health. We expect too much from you,” he said, adding the health chief should “man up.”
Leachon noted how Herbosa, Ledesma and Finance Secretary Ralph Recto have supposedly made no effort to oppose the decision of lawmakers to remove PhilHealth’s subsidy.
“That’s stupid. Ted being a doctor should know better among the three,” he said. “To be able to provide for the poor, who do not have funds to contribute, government must provide and subsidize.”
Leachon said such an action is necessary if Herbosa wants to leave a good legacy as DOH secretary.
The DOH has said that PhilHealth will be able to perform its mandate even sans the subsidy funds.
“The job of PhilHealth is to pay the health benefits of its members, with or without subsidy from the General Appropriations Act,” Herbosa said in a statement last Friday.
Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito assured the public that the zero subsidy for PhilHealth would not lead to an increase in members’ monthly premiums.
In an interview with radio dzBB, Ejercito said the monthly premiums could even go do down once proposed amendments to the Universal Health Care Act are approved by Congress.
He said the zero PhilHealth subsidy is way of “forcing” the state insurer to spend its P600 billion excess funds and increase its members’ benefits. – With Raymond Africa
