Inquirer
DOH: PhilHealth’s excess funds to benefit health-related programs
Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has an excess of P89.9 billion earmarked for health programs.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa assured that these funds would be used for health-related initiatives, with Finance Secretary Ralph Recto promising "health money for health."
Herbosa requested that the excess funds be dedicated to health purposes, which led to the allocation of P27.4 billion for the healthcare allowance (HEA).
The excess funds did not come from member contributions but from government subsidies for indigent individuals and senior citizens.
Herbosa theorized that the surplus might be due to overestimations in their budget, a decrease in the number of senior citizens, or fewer indigent individuals qualifying for free premiums.
🤖
This story was generated by AI to help you understand the key points. For more detailed coverage, please see the news articles from trusted media outlets below.
News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
Over 60 medical societies and healthcare organizations are urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reverse the Department of Finance's directive to transfer nearly P90 billion in surplus funds from PhilHealth to the National Treasury.
Read more →
The Department of Finance (DOF) maintains that the transfer of P20 billion in excess funds from PhilHealth to the national government is legal, as supported by Congress.
Read more →
Senator Christopher "Bong" Go plans to investigate the legality of the P90-billion fund transfer from PhilHealth to the National Treasury.
Read more →
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto assured that Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) members will not experience any changes in their benefits despite the remittance of unused government subsidies.
Read more →
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) President Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. announced plans to recommend a reduction in premium contribution rates to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a move discussed in a Senate committee hearing.
Read more →