PhilHealth is a ‘Failure,’ Says JV Ejercito
PHILHEALTH – Senator JV Ejercito criticized the government-run health insurance provider, calling it a “failure” in its implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, as many Filipinos remain burdened by hospital bills.
Ejercito, the principal author of the UHC Law, emphasized that PhilHealth’s main mandate is to ease the financial burden of Filipinos. He expressed frustration over the fact that PhilHealth only covers a small portion of hospital bills, often as little as 8-12%, which he believes contradicts the law’s intent.
In an interview with Pinky Webb on “On Point” at Bilyonaryo News Channel, Ejercito shared his disappointment upon seeing how limited PhilHealth’s coverage is. He suggested that PhilHealth should aim to cover at least 30-40%, or even 50% for indigents, persons with disabilities (PWD), and senior citizens. He also proposed the concept of “zero balance billing,” meaning certain patients wouldn’t have to pay anything at all.
“I think PhilHealth is really a failure in the implementation of the UHC because the intent of the law is to really ease the burden on every Filipino,” he said. “That’s why I really feel bad, I really feel sad hearing about… or frustrated o even mad when I see hospital bill that PhilHealth only takes care of about 12 percent, eight percent of the bill. That is not the intent of the law,” he added.
Recently, a fresh graduate named Andrea Borcelis was surprised to find that she owed PhilHealth ₱22,000, despite only registering for membership in June. She was confused about how such a large debt had accumulated. According to PhilHealth’s records, she had been a member since 2014, which was puzzling because she was only 12 years old at that time.
The GMA Integrated News segment, Kapuso Action Man, reached out to PhilHealth for clarification, and a representative explained that Andrea had been listed as an indigent member in 2014 based on a list from the DSWD. They further clarified that her status changed when she applied for voluntary membership. After reviewing her case, it was determined that Andrea only owed ₱2,000 instead of the original ₱22,000.