Editorial | April 25, 2022
The state health’s insurer, PhilHealth, recently released the advisory that the premium rate for CY 2022 is 4.0% with an income floor of P10, 000.00 and income ceiling of P80, 000.00 effective January 2022.
Theses said adjustments will take effect in the Electronic Premium Remittance System (EPRS) and the member portal starting June. However, the premium increase would be retroactive from January this year.
This means, for employers and members who already fulfilled the contributions from January until May under the 3% premium will have to generate the corresponding Statement of Premium Account for the paid periods so that they can settle the 1% differential until December 31 this year.
For the Philippine economy who is on the early and shaky stage of recovery from the persecution and hardships brought by the coronavirus pandemic, the said increase could infuse needed funds into the coffers. However, for the already drained and fatigued Filipino worker, this is another haymaker to the temple.
The increase in premiums translate those earning P10k and below monthly to have their monthly contributions at P400.00. In our society where health is wealth, this monthly contribution came in very handy for our health needs.
This increase is also stipulated under the Universal Health Care Law which mandated that the premium rate shall increase by increments of 0.5% annually starting from 3% in 2020 until it reaches 5%. Meaning to say, while the Filipino people already ached about this latest advisory, there is still the provision of another hike until the targeted 5% will be reached.
This increase however came at a time wherein Filipinos are staggered by oil hikes, inflation and economic uncertainty. While the ordinary Juan is keeping tabs of everything to make ends meet, the national government also is hell bent of providing its constituents services while managing to weather the economic turmoil brought by the prolonged coronavirus pandemic and the Ruso-Ukraine war.
PhilHealth has its share of scandals and controversies, making the increase even more unappreciated. Its involvement to issues of corruption has put multiple asterisks as to the health condition of the state health insurer. The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), through meetings and discussions, even discovered that PhilHealth lacked manpower and red flags in the information and communication technology (ICT) aspect.
Then there’s those delayed and unpaid claims of CoVID19 reimbursements and even those claims prior to the pandemic which led to hospitals cutting their ties with PhilHealth. In 2020, an officer revealed during a senate hearing overpriced budget proposals for ICT projects that nearly reached P800M. Notwithstanding that issue of excessive travel allowance for its interim chief amounting to at least P600M.
Some medicines, specifically tocilizumab and remdesivir, were found not covered by PhilHealth’s Standard of Care. These two medicines took center stage during the pandemic as they were used to treat CoVID19.
PhilHealth recorded income losses amounting to P8.9B in 2017, perhaps the very reason why there’s a need to infuse new measures into its financial inflows. The losses coupled with the issues of multi-million peso anomalies and corruption surely dent the confidence of its members.
Just so, we always believe PhilHealth is out there to provide what it is supposed to provide. But as these chinks to the armor of the country’s health insurer continue to plague and infest its system, one could fathom, is PhilHealth still healthy?
Is it healthy enough to cater the health needs of its members? Can it deliver its services without draining up its coffers? How long will this system survive? What’s next for PhilHealth?
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