Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero Speaks on Subsidy for PhilHealth in 2025
CHIZ ESCUDERO – The Senate President spoke on the decision of the lawmakers to grant a zero subsidy to PhilHealth in 2025.
Every year, the lawmakers scrutinize the budget of the different government agencies and offices in the Philippines for the next year. Recently, the lawmakers have met to finalize the budget appropriation for the different government offices in 2025.
The lawmakers have approved giving zero subsidy to PhilHealth in 2025. According to Senator Grace Poe, they have decided to let the state-run health insurance agency use their reserve funds which are kept in a bank account.
Sen. Poe claimed that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. may be having P600 billion reserve funds in a bank account. The lawmaker stressed that the said fund is earning low thus, the government is in the losing end in the situation.
Recently, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero spoke on the zero subsidy for PhilHealth in 2025. According to the Senate President, the decision of the lawmakers is due to the lapses of the state-run health insurance agency. He stressed that they should not reward the health insurance-providing entity with another budget that will not be utilized.
“Dahil sa kapalpakan ‘yun. Ito sana magsilbing wake up call sa kanila. Hindi man palo sa mukha na gawin nila ang trabaho nila. Hindi para sa amin na i-reward ang kapalpakan nila sa pagbibigay na naman ng perang itetengga,” he said.
Based on a report on GMA News, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero said that PhilHealth is bound to implement the “No Balance Billing” mandate under the Universal Healthcare Law but it was allegedly not implemented. The mandate is in the pursuit of reducing the expenses shouldered by the patient.
According to Escudero, the absorptive capacity of PhilHealth is allegedly not weak. He stressed that the state-run health insurance provider supposedly did not just do their jobs to give health benefits for the Filipino people.
“Ni isang pasyente yata ng PhilHealth, walang zero balance billing eh... Sa laki ng pera nila, hindi nga nangyayari. Ba’t pa namin daragdagan?” the Senate President said.
The PhilHealth has yet to react on the statement of Escudero. While they will be given zero subsidy, the entity will still be given their operating budget as per Poe.