PhilHealth also pins hope on President
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is hoping that President Marcos would reverse the decision of Congress granting it zero subsidy in the 2025 budget.
But should the President approve the Congress current budget bill, PhilHealth assured the public it still has sufficient funds, especially for its nonpaying members.
According to Dr. Israel Francis Pargas, PhilHealth senior vice president for health finance policy sector, they were surprised by the move of the bicameral conference committee to completely scrap the P74-billion subsidy earmarked for the National Health Insurance Program, which would have been used to pay for the benefits of the 16 million Filipino indirect contributors—senior citizens, persons with disability, indigents, 4Ps beneficiaries, and those without the capacity to pay.
“We are still hoping that the President will review the bill. However, if this current version of the bill becomes the law, PhilHealth will need to adjust all its plans and directions. We will have to adapt,” he said in an interview on dzBB.
While confident the current funds would suffice for 2025, Pargas warned that potential challenges might emerge by 2026, particularly in administrative expenses.
