Bu Mario Casayuran Senator Richard J. Gordon said Wednesday the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will not go bankrupt. This was Gordon’s explanation on the financial status of controversy-laden PhilHealth after Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon asked if the government medical agency would still be financially healthy 10 years from now. Sen. Richard Gordon
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which Gordon chairs, conducted a public hearing based on a privilege speech of Senator Panfilo M, Lacson and a resolution of detained Senator Leila de Lima on ‘’the reported alarming state of widespread corruption and mismanagement in the PhilHealth leading to losses amounting to billions of pesos to the prejudice to our National Health Insurance and Universal Health Care programs.’’ ‘’First, there is money and premiums coming. Government gives P67 billion a year,’’ Gordon said. ‘’But with the entry of Universal Health Care (UHC), the monthly premium of the people will increase P2,400 for one year,’’ he said. Next year, the monthly premium will be P1,300 increasing PhilHealth’s funds ‘’but it should be careful on the incidence of fraud, waste, and abuse,’’ he added. He cited four hospitals that were able to get refunds on patients that turned out to be dead. Gordon strongly suggested that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) create an anti-fraud unit that would be well funded, and that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) immediately send data on the death of citizens to PhilHealth.