Rx for PhilHealth: Systemic reform and equity infusion

The tug-of-war between private hospi-tals and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) rages on. Amid a surging pandemic and calls from the Department of Health (DOH) for provision of more beds and facilities, hospital owners report that they are constrained to lay offhealth workers as PhilHealth receivables have reportedly ballooned to about ₱30 billion.

Private hospitals bear the brunt of tertiary health care as the DOH operates a limited number of district hospitals in regional and urban centers. This explains the stark reality that up to seven out of every 10 Filipinos live and die without seeing a doctor.

Last year, there was a hue and cry over alleged corruption at PhilHealth that eventually led to the forced resignation of its president and top officials and to a probe by the Department of Justice. A former director of the National Bureau of Investigation, a certified public accountant, was appointed PhilHealth president and the controversy faded as other stories hogged the headlines.