SunStar
+ February 11, 2021 WHILE Covid-19 is a true story, there might also be some grain of truth to the claim of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia that isolation facilities are making money from the pandemic.
Garcia said these facilities claim for a single patient P22,449, the maximum reimbursement from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) granted to a beneficiary under the Covid-19 community isolation benefit package (CCIBP).
Covid-19 has become an “incentivized disease,” said the governor. “Isolation centers now are lucrative businesses. Because who wanted to spend P22,449 to feed and house a patient within 10 days?” the governor said.
Garcia cites, for instance, tuberculosis, a severe illnesses, which is being ignored because the attention has been focused on Covid-19 for reasons that it is covered by the Philhealth package. Under the insurance firm’s Circular 2020-0012, a DOH-certified community isolation unit (CIU) may claim reimbursements
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
In a committee hearing presided by its chairman, Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento, the House panel supported the “noble objectives” of the law that was authored during the 17th Congress by then Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito.
However, Sarmiento, together with Deputy Speakers Rufus Rodriguez (CDI, Cagayan de Oro City) and Rodante Marcoleta (Sagip Partylist) and Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon, noted that implementation of the law is ill-timed because of the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic prevailing in the country.
Ejercito, who was invited as resource person in the hearing, aired the same view, saying that the public should understand that his legislative proposal was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 22, 2019.
SunStar
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia. (File phoo)
+ February 10, 2021 CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, claimed that isolation facilities for coronavirus-positive individuals are making money from the pandemic since they get up to P22,449 to house one patient.
This is the maximum reimbursement from state-owned Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) granted to every qualified beneficiary of its Covid-19 community isolation benefit package (CCIBP).
“Isolation centers now are lucrative businesses. Because who wanted to spend P22,449 to feed and house a patient within 10 days?” Garcia said in a press conference Wednesday.
She said Covid-19, or coronavirus disease 2019, has become an “incentivized disease.”
SunStar
Photo by Johanna Bajenting February 09, 2021 THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Central Visayas filed graft charges against officials from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and three officials from Chong Hua Hospital involved in approving an allegedly fraudulent claim for a non-frontliner patient.
CHARGES
Republic Act (RA) 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices
Malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents
Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees
Gross and grave misconduct.
Republic Act (RA) 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices
Malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents
THE CASE
The case involved patient Kim Solamo, who was made to appear as a frontliner positive for coronavirus and claimed a full benefit from PhilHealth.
February 09, 2021 THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 filed on Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, criminal charges against eight officials of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. in Central Visayas (Philhealth 7) and three officers and employees of Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City for their alleged failure to identify falsified documents that made a patient appear that he tested positive for Covid-19 and was a frontliner.
The employees of Chong Hua Hospital (CHH) are the second batch of medical workers that the NBI 7 has charged in over three months.
The NBI 7, on Oct. 29, 2020, filed graft charges against four officers of Perpetual Succour Hospital in Cebu City and eight officials of Philhealth 7 for their alleged involvement in Covid-19 benefit claims anomalies.