Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) Sunday to consider the deferment of the scheduled increase of membership contributions and take into consideration the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the jobs and livelihood of Filipinos.
Being a “fortuitous event,” the COVID-19 pandemic crisis should prod the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to grant a six-month reprieve to its members from paying higher premium contributions, Anakalusugan partylist Rep. Michael Defensor said Sunday.
Senator Richard Gordon (Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
According to Gordon, who serves as PRC Chair, PhilHealth’s debt with the humanitarian organization is P762.8-million. The senator said he hopes the state health insurance agency can avoid having its debt reach to P1-billion.
“Kailangan maibaba yan, kailangan magbayad na sila ng kalahati. Ibaba na natin within the next several days, na mabayaran na yan. (We need to lower the amount, so they must pay at least half. Let’s halve it within the next several days, they should pay the amount),” Gordon said in an interview over Radio DZBB.
SunStar
+ January 02, 2021 WE WERE warned earlier before the pandemic struck, that premium and contribution rate increases for PhilHealth and the Social Security System (SSS) would take effect at the start of 2021.
The impact of these adjustments, however, makes one wonder if these moves will help or do more harm to those already suffering from loss or reduction of income during this health crisis. The general belief is that the increases in Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and SSS contributions at this time will hurt and not help Filipinos.
The call then is for PhilHealth and SSS to put these adjustments on hold and seek alternative, even innovative, ways to keep themselves viable and able to pay their beneficiaries. Is there no other way to keep these systems afloat without their having to collect more from workers and employers?
Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor appealed to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) Saturday to defer the implementation of additional premium contributions of its members as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grip the country.