Rappler
PhilHealth’s Del Rosario admits IRM releases from March to June ‘illegal’
PhilHealth Senior Vice President Rodolfo Del Rosario Jr. admitted that the release of advance payments to hospitals through the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) from March to early June was illegal.
Del Rosario's admission was made during a joint House committee investigation on anomalies within the state health insurer.
He agreed with Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta that the funds were released without meeting the prerequisites of the IRM circular, such as publication and furnishing copies to the Office of the National Administrative Register (ONAR).
The IRM circular, PhilHealth Circular No. 2020-0007, allows for emergency cash advances to medical facilities during "fortuitous events" to ensure continuous healthcare services.
The Commission on Audit reported that only P1 billion out of the P14 billion released through the IRM has been liquidated by PhilHealth.
Former PhilHealth anti-fraud officer Thorrsson Montes Keith had previously accused top officials of irregular advance payouts to non-COVID-19 hospitals and overpriced IT projects.
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Congresswoman Stella Quimbo criticized PhilHealth's Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) funds, calling them "blank checks" given to hospitals.
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Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon is pushing for the abolition of PhilHealth's interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM), calling it a source of issues and more of a cash advance than a reimbursement.
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PhilHealth lost at least P2 billion due to fraud in its Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) program, which distributed over P14 billion to hospitals for COVID-19 operations.
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Senator Panfilo Lacson alleged that PhilHealth exhibited favoritism in its distribution of Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) funds for COVID-19 treatment.
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Several senators welcomed the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation's (PhilHealth) suspension of its interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) as a positive step towards transparency and allowing scrutiny of past fund releases.
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