New PhilHealth CEO vows to fix systemic issues

Dr. Edwin Mercado, the new president and chief executive officer of PhilHealth, vowed to address the agency's systemic problems, which he likened to illnesses needing treatment.

Mercado, who took his oath before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., aims to expedite the processing of healthcare claims and expand benefits for members.

He plans to review old denied claims and determine what can be paid, applying new procedures retroactively if they comply with Commission on Audit (CoA) rules.

The new CEO identified benefit management and financial reporting as the agency's major concerns requiring immediate action.

Mercado also intends to digitalize PhilHealth to improve processes, particularly concerning unpaid claims, and standardize financial reporting.

He replaces Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr., who faced criticism for not increasing members' benefits despite PhilHealth having P90 billion in excess funds.

This comes after the Supreme Court blocked the transfer of P29.9 billion of PhilHealth's excess funds to the national Treasury in October.