Now they’re stealing our PhilHealth contributions
All 119 million of us Filipinos are PhilHealth members. Private, government, the self-employed and uniformed servicemen are payer-beneficiaries. Seniors, PWDs, indigents and our dependents are free.
In January 2024 PhilHealth increased our contributions to five percent of monthly income – the third time in three years. We couldn’t complain because PhilHealth automatically deducts from our pay.
Those of us earning less than P10,000 began to shell out P500 a month, or P6,000 a year. Those making P10,000 to P100,000, P501 to P5,000 a month, or up to P60,000 a year.
“We need funds to meet our initiated good changes in PhilHealth benefits,” CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. justified.
OK, we conceded. We need more health benefits.
But what’s this? PhilHealth is giving away to the national government P90 billion of our money.
Ang sinungaling ay kapatid ng…
Didn’t Ledesma claim that PhilHealth needs money for benefits? Now, six months later, VP-corporate affairs Rey Baleña says “unused subsidy from national government? is the subject of this transfer.”
What unused subsidy? Last May, PhilHealth promised to double the aid to dialysis patients from P2,600 to P5,200 a month, or from P31,200 to P62,400 a year. No more out-of-pocket expense for patients, EVP Eli Dino Santos told Rep. Erwin Tulfo.
The following month PhilHealth raised the aid to only P4,000. Inadequate to cover lab works, injections, medicines and the dialysis.
“PhilHealth doesn’t help cancer or heart patients, among the most prevalent,” health care reformist Dr. Tony Leachon complains. “It doesn’t even cover blood, urine, stool test and x-ray for disease prevention and early detection. Instead of adding those services, it’s subtracting.”
The P90 billion is “extortion,” economist JC Punongbayan, PhD, writes. The 2019 Universal Health Care Act states: “Section 11 – Excess PhilHealth reserve funds shall be used to increase benefits and decrease members’ contributions.”
Low-income earners will be most hurt, adds Action for Economic Reform cofounder Filomeno Sta. Ana. They won’t get their health insurance money’s worth for the P500-P1,000 they shell out monthly.
Indigents comprise 40 percent of PhilHealth members. Under UHCA, they’re supposed to benefit most from sin taxes on cigarettes, liquor, beverages and sugary drinks. “How can they if government grabs PhilHealth’s P90 billion?” Leachon says.
The nature of their work debilitates the physique and mind of soldiers, policemen, coast guards. Active-duty and retirees need PhilHealth. Taking away P90 billion “may create serious security problems,” ex-senator and PNP chief Panfilo Lacson warns.
The P90 billion is not just a plan. PhilHealth already gave the national government P20 billion on May 10. Three more transfers are set: P10 billion on Aug. 21, P30 billion on Oct. 16 and P30 billion on May 26, 2025.
That’s in obeisance to Finance Sec. Ralph Recto’s Feb. 27 Department Circular 003-2024. All government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) are to turn over excess funds. It’s in lieu of taxes to fund government’s 2024 “unprogrammed” budget, Recto says.
Two questions arise:
One, who says PhilHealth is a GOCC?
The Government Corporate Counsel and the Governance Commission for GOCCs may twist the definition. But nothing will change the fact that PhilHealth is unlike Clark Development Corp. or Duty-Free Corp. or PAGCOR that must remit to national government.
PhilHealth is our money. Its 1995 charter obligates us to contribute. Government merely administers our money for us.
Two, what are unprogrammed appropriations?
It’s money that has yet to be begged or borrowed – then stolen by the executive and legislature as pork barrels.
For 2024, Malacañang had proposed P282-billion unprogrammed fund, to which Congress added P450 billion, totaling it to P732 billion – so they can all plunder more.
The Supreme Court is still hearing charges of unconstitutionality of that 250 percent bloat. But there they go again.
The Commission on Audit must rap PhilHealth right away for that P20-billion first tranche. Being a Marcos-admin appointee shouldn’t stop chairman Gamaliel Cordoba from guarding the national coffers.
PhilHealth’s board approved the P90 billion, Baleña says. Thus complicit too are chairman Health Sec. Teodoro Herbosa, directors DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian, DOLE Sec. Bienvenido Laguesma, DBM Sec. Amenah Pangandaman and private sector designees.
The admin tried to steal our SSS and GSIS contributions for its vanity Maharlika Fund. It backed off when we members growled.
Now it’s targeting our PhilHealth. In October 2024 the supermajority plunderers and dynastic kinsmen will file for re-election. They’ll use our money to buy votes, then steal more starting June 2025.
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Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8 to 10 a.m., dwIZ (882-AM). Follow me on Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/Jarius-Bondoc
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