Sen. Grace Poe Speaks on PhilHealth Subsidy, Reserve Funds
PHILHEALTH – Senator Grace Poe announced that under the 2025 national budget, the state-run health insurance entity will get zero subsidy.
One of the biggest state entities in the Philippines is the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or popularly known as PhilHealth. Millions of Filipinos are members of the state entity as they rely on the pocket-friendly health insurance coverage that it offers.
Members of the state-run health insurance entity who have updated accounts which is possible through regularly posting premiums have something to turn to in times of medical emergencies — and even during non-emergency health situations.
However, like many other government agencies in the Philippines, PhilHealth has its own controversies. Senator JV Ejercito has also called PhilHealth a “failure” in the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Act. There were also a lot of questions regarding the transfer of its P89.9 billion excess funds to the national treasury.
Recently, the lawmakers have discussed the budget appropriation for the different offices in the government for 2025. Based on a report on GMA News, Sen. Grace Poe who head the Senate finance committee announced that PhilHealth will get zero subsidy for 2025.
Amid the deliberation of the House Bill No. 10800 or the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) which contains the P6.352 trillion national budget, the lawmakers have decided to order the health insurance provider to use their reserve funds. According to Sen. Poe, the state entity has P600 billion reserve funds.
“Sa ngayon, ang PhilHealth ay hindi nabigyan ng budget. Sapagkat kailangan nilang gamitin muna yung kanilang reserve funds,” Poe said.
According to the Senator, the reserve fund of the state-run health insurance entity is just kept in a bank account but it is allegedly earning very low from bank interests. Based on the report, she stressed that the government is in the losing part in the situation.
Meanwhile, Sen. Grace Poe clarified that while there is zero subsidy for PhilHealth in 2025, the state-run health insurance provider will be given their operating cost. As of this writing, the entity involved has yet to release a statement over the zero subsidy that awaits their office.