Senator Loren Legarda said stable and automatic financing for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is essential to sustain universal healthcare and ensure the timely delivery of benefits to Filipinos.
Legarda recently filed Senate Bill No. 1662, or the proposed PhilHealth Automatic Funding Act, which seeks to mandate the automatic appropriation and release of all funds lawfully due to PhilHealth, removing discretionary delays and preventing diversion of resources intended for health services.
“Universal Health Care is a commitment we must honor with clarity and sincerity. PhilHealth must never be left vulnerable to delays or diversions. Every peso earmarked for the health of our people must reach its rightful destination, on time and in full,” Legarda said in a news release on Thursday.
She said PhilHealth’s ability to provide expanded benefits has been undermined by the government’s failure to fully release revenues mandated by law, including proceeds from sin taxes and shares from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
Despite clear statutory mandates, Legarda said allocations for PhilHealth under recent National Expenditure Programs fell short of required amounts, citing the Supreme Court ruling that ordered the return of PHP60 billion to PhilHealth and prohibited further diversion of its funds.
She said the proposed measure seeks to ensure predictable and stable financing by automatically appropriating and directly releasing all earmarked revenues to PhilHealth, stressing that healthcare is a right and not a privilege.
To strengthen transparency and accountability, the bill also requires the Bureau of Internal Revenue, PAGCOR and PCSO to submit quarterly reports to Congress on their remittances to PhilHealth and to publish these reports on their official websites.
“Stable financing is the backbone of universal health care. By mandating automatic release of funds, we strengthen congressional oversight, secure transparency, and guarantee that PhilHealth can deliver expanded benefits to every Filipino family,” Legarda said.
She added automatic funding is vital to sustaining the country’s health system and making universal healthcare a lived reality for Filipinos. (PNA)