By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Coinciding with the celebration of Women’s Month, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday (12 March 2024) announced that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) will provide free annual mammogram and ultrasound services starting in July after the House leader from Leyte pushed for increased benefits to its members, raising the package from P100,000 to P1.4 million for breast cancer patients.
Accompanied by House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, Romualdez met with PhilHealth officials led by President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., before joining President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. for his working visit in Berlin, Germany, and state visit to the Czech Republic.
“I commend PhilHealth for their swift action in responding to our call to provide free mammogram and ultrasound examinations to our women. This initiative reflects the commitment of the administration of President Marcos to prioritize the health and well-being of Filipino women, ensuring access to crucial preventive care,” Romualdez stressed.
He added: “This is the best news we can give to the Filipino women, especially during Women’s Month.”
The Speaker also expressed optimism that the relationship between Congress and PhilHealth will further prosper to deliver better basic healthcare services to the public.
“We will deliver, sir. We will not fail you; we need to deliver. We are confident that we will be able to fulfill your request,” Ledesma said in response to Romualdez.
“Early detection is key in addressing various health concerns, and by removing financial barriers to these essential services, PhilHealth is helping to save lives and promote a healthier future for our women,” Romualdez quipped.
He noted that this development is in line with the personal advocacy of his wife, Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez.
(el Amigo/MNM)
By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Despite the pronouncement of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. that he is still studying the proposed premium hike of the state health insurer, Philippine Health Corporation (PhilHealth) chief executive officer (CEO) Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. has pushed anew for higher contributions this year.
Ledesma Jr. justified the proposed premium hike, saying Philhealth members and their beneficiaries will not even need to pay for treatment of certain illnesses under PhilHealth’s planned expansion of coverage.
“Marami kaming nakalatag na enhancements na siguradong mararamdaman ng mga miyembro dahil sa mas mababang bayarin sa ospital, kung hindi man wala nang babayaran pa,” the Philhealth top official said.
He added that PhilHealth will rationalize case rates for bronchial asthma and bacterial sepsis in newborns and COVID-19 inpatient benefits.
Ledesma Jr further said beneficiaries can also expect better packages for severe acute malnutrition in children aged 5 years old and below, and services for physical medicine and rehabilitation.
“Another benefit to look forward to is the enhancement of peritoneal dialysis under the Z Benefits Package,” he bared.
It was learned that PhilHealth members’ contributions were supposed to increase to 5 percent of members’ wages this year, up from 4 percent.
(el Amigo/MNM)
By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Following the approval of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr of the five (5) percent increase in premium contributions for Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, PhilHealth president and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma, Jr. on Friday (23 Feb 2024) assured that Filipinos will be able to feel their benefits.
The Philhealth chief said the five (5) percent increase in premium contributions will be sustained, as the Office of the President (OP) expressed through a letter that “they pose no objection” to the increase implemented last January.
“I want to assure all of you, yes maraming pera ang PhilHealth. But you can be assured, 100 percent that money will be used wisely and reported in detail, regularly with President [Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.],” Ledesma Jr. said.
To recall, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa appealed to Marcos last month to suspend the implementation of the premium hike.
Ledesma Jr. contended that the increase in contributions is intended to generate more funds for PhilHealth reform.
He noted that under the Universal Healthcare Act, PhilHealth is mandated to raise members’ premiums by 0.5 percent every year beginning in 2019.
Ledesma Jr. also said the 0.5 increase will translate to P35 billion in income for PhilHealth, which will be used for more benefits and programs.
He disclosed that PhilHealth is eyeing to increase their manpower from the current 7,000 to 10,000 for reorganization.
(el Amigo/MNM)
By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Responding to the clamor of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) members, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday vowed to help increase PhilHealth coverage in private hospitals by at least 50% on bill payments.
The Speaker from Leyte said he would discuss with PhilHealth and Department of Health (DOH) officials the expansion of member benefits, addressing the public’s plea for better coverage.
“Marami ang nagtatanong sa atin kung puwedeng dagdagan ang sasagutin ng PhilHealth sa billing at doctors’ fees kapag private ang kinuha na k’warto o sa pay ward,” Romualdez revealed.
The president of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) expressed concern that the major complaint of patients, especially the indigent ones, is that PhilHealth is only shouldering 15% to 20% of hospital bills in hospitals and private medical institutions, especially if they are admitted in private wards.
Regarding professional fees of physicians and medical specialists, the Speaker said he received complaints that PhilHealth only subsidizes 30% for private hospital patients.
“Hindi naman lahat na naa-admit sa ospital ay nasa free o charity ward. Mabilis kasi maubos ang mga charity beds. Hiling ng mga tao na kalahati ng bill nila sana kapag na-admit sa private ay sagutin ng PhilHealth para kalahati na lang ang bayaran ng miyembro,” Romualdez said.
(el Amigo/MNM)
MANILA — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) experienced disruptions anew on its website over the weekend, not due to cyber hackers, but as a result of bugs or coding errors, clarified Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary for cybersecurity, connectivity, and upskilling, Jeffrey Ian Dy, on Tuesday (16 Jan 2024).
Dy confirmed that the identified bug causing the issues has been successfully addressed, and he assured the public that the PhilHealth website has returned to its normal functioning.
“It seems that there were some errors made in building the website. They fixed it already. It was a bug,” he explained to The Philippine Star.
This incident comes after a Medusa ransomware attack on the PhilHealth website in September of the previous year, during which cyber hackers attempted to extort $300,000 from the organization. Medusa ransomware is malicious software that encrypts files and demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key.
(el Amigo/MNM)
MANILA — In response to the rising costs of medical care, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is gearing up to implement rate adjustments for most of its benefit packages commencing in 2024.
Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., President and CEO of PhilHealth, emphasized the necessity of these adjustments to ensure members experience the true value of their benefits, providing meaningful financial risk protection.
Ledesma stated, “Dapat ramdam ng mga kababayan natin ang benepisyo nila sa PhilHealth (Our fellowmen must be able to feel their benefits from PhilHealth).”
PhilHealth initially introduced the case rate payment system in 2013, reimbursing a fixed amount for specific medical conditions or surgical cases. With the proposed adjustments, case rates may see an increase of up to 30 percent across all cases, resulting in reduced out-of-pocket expenses for hospitalization and outpatient care.
To mitigate potential inflationary effects, PhilHealth will implement a cost-sharing mechanism, establishing fixed co-payment rates for health facilities and members in addition to PhilHealth’s contribution.
This approach aims to enhance the efficiency of resource utilization by health facilities while allowing members to predict their expenses for extra services beyond basic accommodations.
In addition to these changes, PhilHealth will employ strategies to prevent insurance fraud and curb doctor moral hazards, aiming to control healthcare costs and discourage irrational use of healthcare services.
Ledesma clarified that the proposed upward adjustment in case rates is separate from the ongoing benefit expansion and rationalization already approved by the PhilHealth Board.
Noteworthy developments in 2023 include the expanded dialysis coverage to 156 sessions and rationalized rates for conditions prevalent among Filipinos. For 2024, PhilHealth plans to further expand Z Benefits for breast cancer, encompassing targeted therapy coverage of up to PHP 1 million per patient per year.
Z Benefits currently covers 20 catastrophic illnesses and health conditions requiring expensive treatments and hospitalizations, ranging from various cancers to congenital anomalies and mobility-related concerns.
In conclusion, these adjustments reflect PhilHealth’s commitment to enhancing the accessibility and quality of healthcare services for its members, while concurrently addressing the challenges posed by escalating medical costs.
(IAmigo/MNM)
By Liza Soriano
AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Ray T. Reyes expressed concern over the data leak occured in the system of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth), stressing that the agency prioritized executives’ salaries than establishing a sound cybersecurity.
The lawmaker said the incident would have been easily prevented if Philhealth prioritized strengthening its cybersecurity measures over increasing its executives’ pay.
“Inuna n’yo kasi ang umento, imbes na antivirus n’yo,” Reyes said.
A 2022 report showed Philhealth executives tripling their salaries in 2022, with some earning up to P500,000 monthly.
He said the data leak further underscores the fact that the Philhealth officials’ pay hike is both ill-timed and undeserved.
“Ang mandato ng Philhealth ay pasegurong solusyon sa problemang pangkalusugan. Bakit ngayon puro problema ang bigay nito sa bayan?” the lawmaker said.
“Hindi kailangang magdusa ang Pilipino, dahil sa kapabayaan laban sa Medusa ng iilang tao,” Reyes added.
Reyes also scored Philhealth officials for blaming the new government procurement guidelines for the non-renewal of its antivirus software.
“The expiry of the antivirus software is on you. Way before it expired, you could have done what was needed to ensure data protection,” he pointed out.
(ai/mnm)
By Junex Doronio
CITING “CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER” following the ransomware attacks on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Bohol 3rd District Congresswoman Alexie B. Tutor has pushed for the mobilization of some 200 certified cybersecurity experts in the country to battle with the so-called “cyber terrorists.”
Tutor also said the cybercrime units of the Department of Justice (DOJ), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) could also be mobilized.
“We have a clear and present danger to our individual, collective, and national cybersecurity. Hence the urgent need for quick solutions,” Tutor stressed.
At the same time, the Boholana lawmaker acknowledged the “dire shortage of certified cybersecurity specialists and professionals” in the country prompting her to propose that the government and private sector should roll out a targeted training and certification program with costs at least partially subsidized by the government.
“IT (Information Technology) industry practice prefers certification instead of licensure examination. The certification process is already there, so we only have to boost it to produce more cybersecurity experts,” Tutor said.
She also noted that “the law and IRR (Implementing Rules and Regulations) would take about three or more years” and appointing the members of the cybersecurity professional board will take a year or two.
She further observed that developing the licensure exam would take at least two to three years because it would be a new board exam. Board review and the first board exam will take another year.
“It would, therefore, take at least seven years until the first batch of cybersecurity board exam passers,” Tutor explained.
With this predicament, Tutor — who also chairs the House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation — suggested that certification courses can be rolled out quickly in a matter of months and would have graduated in less than a year.
“Training can be conducted by state universities and colleges, private universities, and IT companies with the needed certification courses in the near term and later with degree programs,” Tutor said.
She added, however, that the aspirants should “still be screened for cybersecurity certification training.”
“Existing cybersecurity degree programs can be upgraded…Some or all of the current 200 certified cybersecurity experts could be mobilized to teach. Trainees can be selected from recent and old graduates of IT, accounting, finance, and criminology degree programs,” Tutor concluded. (ai/mnm)
By Junex Doronio
AS MILLIONS OF PHILHEATH (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation) members were affected by the data breach in the system of the state insurer, this time the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) gave a confusing statement, saying that it was the Confucius group — not Medusa — that uploaded a copy of over 600 gigabytes of files.
The copy was reportedly uploaded to a website and a Telegram channel after 4 p.m. on October 5, two days after the deadline for a payment of about $300,000 or approximately P17 million, ransom expired.
DICT Secretary Ivan Uy said the hackers may sell the leaked information to scammers and phishers considering that the perpetrators were not able to get the money they asked for.
“They will try to monetize the information by selling to scammers, to phishers para gamitin ‘yung data nila (to use their data),” he said.
On the other hand, DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Dy said their analysis showed that there were no remnants of the Medusa malware in the members’ database.
Uy further said that investigators are still trying to identify if the hackers are Filipinos or foreigners.
“Sa tingin ko naman ‘yung local hindi sila maglalakas loob dahil mahahabol natin sila. Nasa loob ng ating jurisdiction,” he quipped.
Earlier, a video of the leaked information showed photos, bank cards, and transaction receipts of the victims, among others.
The DICT said that although the transaction data of some PhilHealth members were leaked but it assured the members’ database was not affected by the cyberattack. (ai/mnm)
By Junex Doronio
WHO WILL BLINK FIRST?
This is the question as there are only four more days to go before the shadowy Medusa ransomware group will release in public the data that it has hacked from the government health insurer Philhealth if the latter refuses to cough up $300,000 or roughly P17 million in ransom.
Cybersecurity expert Renzon Cruz has expressed apprehension that Medusa may release a lengthy video ranging from 30 to 50 minutes in the event of non-compliance from PhilHealth, flaunting a series of PII data and IDs across various social media platforms like X (Twitter), Telegram, and Facebook.
Cruz said Medusa is well equipped as it even has a public relations arm, identified as “OSINT without Borders”, which seems to function on reporting breaches and re-publishing stolen data.
Just like the wily mythological creature, the shadowy Medusa ransomware group reportedly collaborates with global affiliates, expanding its reach and impact.
According to thecyberexpress.com, since its emergence in June 2021, the Medusa ransomware group has remained a prominent concern for cybersecurity experts.
The PhilHealth hacking was confirmed by the National Privacy Commission (NPC) on Monday evening, September 25, saying it was notified by PhilHealth regarding a ransomware attack.
Philhealth, however, assured that only employee information was breached.
Last September 22, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) first bared the cyberattack on the PhilHealth database.
DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said the $300,000 or roughly P17 million ransom is in exchange for three things, namely:
- to hand over the decryption keys so the data can be accessed again;
- to delete the data that they obtained and not publish these to the public; and
- to give DICT a copy of the data which is in their possession.
DICT said it is working with PhilHealth and its outsourced cybersecurity vendors to complete the “clean up” of the system. (ai/mnm)
By Junex Doronio
JUST LIKE IN THRILLER MOVIES, a shadowy cyber gang called Medusa has hacked the government health insurer PhilHealth and is now demanding $300,000, or around P17 million to unlock the breached database.
This was confirmed by the National Privacy Commission (NPC) on Monday evening, September 25, saying it was notified by PhilHealth regarding a ransomware attack.
PhilHealth, however, assured that only employee information was breached.
On Friday, September 22, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) bared the cyberattack on the PhilHealth database.
DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said the $300,000 million ransom being demanded by the “Medusa” cyber gang is in exchange for three things, namely:
- to hand over the decryption keys so the data can be accessed again;
- to delete the data that they obtained and not publish these to the public; and
- to give DICT a copy of the data which is in their possession.
DICT said it is working with PhilHealth and its outsourced cybersecurity vendors to complete the “clean up” of the system. (ai/mnm)
SENATOR Rafael “Raffy” Tulfo has expressed his disappointment regarding the inadequate compliance of three government agencies when it comes to providing coverage for domestic workers.
According to a 2019 joint survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), there are approximately 1.4 million registered domestic workers under the Social Security System (SSS), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the Home Development Mutual Fund, commonly known as Pag-IBIG.
However, the statistics reveal that only a meager percentage of these workers are enrolled in these programs by their employers. Specifically, just 6 percent, or 84,190 kasambahay, are registered with SSS, 5 percent, or 74,858 with PhilHealth, and 3.4 percent, or 51,579 with Pag-IBIG.
Senator Tulfo has expressed his concern, labeling this level of compliance as exceedingly low. He currently serves as the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor and is adamant that these government agencies need to take more effective measures to ensure that employers across the country are registering and regularly contributing to the SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG for their domestic workers.
Moreover, he is troubled by the lack of implementation of the registration system for kasambahay at the barangay level. He is well aware that some employers either find themselves too preoccupied to enroll their household help for these coverages or deliberately avoid doing so in order to evade financial responsibilities.
It’s worth noting that under the “Domestic Workers Act” or “Batas Kasambahay,” every employer is mandated to register their house help with the barangay in which their residence is situated. The Punong Barangay, or the barangay chairman, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the kasambahay registry within their jurisdiction. (ai/mnm)