Marcos Jr appoints Dr Edwin Mercado as new PhilHealth head

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. appointed Dr. Edwin Mercado as the new President and CEO of PhilHealth on February 4, following criticism over previous leadership's failure to increase benefits despite excess funds.

Dr. Mercado vowed during a press briefing at Malacañang Palace to speed up healthcare claim processing and expand member benefits, addressing systemic issues within PhilHealth as 'illnesses' that need treatment.

He emphasized the importance of reviewing old denied claims to determine if they can be paid in compliance with Commission on Audit (CoA) rules, aiming for both prospective and retroactive improvements.

With 35 years of hospital management experience and expertise in leveraging technology to enhance health systems, Dr. Mercado plans to reduce catastrophic healthcare expenses by establishing an evidence-based standard of care guideline for benefit adjustments.

Dr. Mercado also aims to work with other agencies with robust IT systems to boost PhilHealth's digital infrastructure, prioritizing immediate aspects like claims adjudication and improving financial reporting.