President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has assured the public that the services provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) will remain intact and may even expand, despite the removal of its P74-billion subsidy in the proposed 2025 national budget. The decision, made by the bicameral conference committee, was based on PhilHealth’s reported P600-billion reserve fund, which has not been utilized for years.
Marcos supported the move, stating that PhilHealth has enough funds to sustain operations without government subsidies. “The services of PhilHealth will not be reduced. In fact, we will even increase the payment for insurance claims and expand services,” he told reporters.
Critics have expressed concerns that scrapping the subsidy might impact PhilHealth’s ability to support vulnerable sectors and implement benefit packages. However, Marcos reiterated that the reserves are sufficient to cover costs, which he said amount to less than P100 billion annually.
Speaker Martin Romualdez suggested suspending PhilHealth members’ monthly premium contributions for a year while an investigation is conducted to ensure financial stability and improve claims processing. “This inquiry is not about blame but about finding solutions to benefit the hardworking Filipino people,” Romualdez said.
Meanwhile, health reform advocate Dr. Tony Leachon urged the President to review the proposed diversion of P89.9 billion from PhilHealth’s excess funds to unprogrammed appropriations. In an open letter, Leachon suggested forming a team of department heads to evaluate the issue and ensure that PhilHealth’s resources are utilized effectively.
