Senators criticize PhilHealth's IRM for alleged favoritism

Senators have criticized the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for its Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM), alleging favoritism and lack of legal basis.

The IRM is designed to provide healthcare institutions with advance payments during emergencies like the pandemic, based on their past reimbursements.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon described the IRM as a misnomer, arguing it functions as a cash advance system rather than a reimbursement process and that PhilHealth should be efficient enough to not require such a mechanism.

Senator Joel Villanueva proposed that "IRM" should be renamed the "inequitable reimbursement mechanism" due to the alleged disparity in fund releases.

Records indicate that PhilHealth prioritized advancing cash to certain dialysis centers and maternity clinics over hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.

For instance, PhilHealth promptly released some P226 million in IRM funds to freestanding dialysis and maternity clinics, while several COVID-19 referral hospitals had to wait months to receive their share.

The senators argued that hospitals actively managing COVID-19 cases should have received priority for the IRM cash advances.