By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Revealing that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) failed to spend P24 billion of the P80 billion appropriated by Congress to subsidize premiums of indigent families, senior citizens, and persons with disability (PWDs), House Committee on Appropriations senior vice chairperson and Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo has filed a resolution urging the state health insurer to temporarily suspend collecting premium contributions from minimum wage earners.
In her House Resolution 1595, Quimbo pointed out that PhilHealth could utilize its unspent appropriations for premium subsidies, providing immediate financial relief to the country’s economically vulnerable workers.
“The unspent premium of PhilHealth can very well cover the premium contributions of minimum wage earners for at least a year since in 2022 their premium contribution only amounted to P19.6 Bn,” Quimbo explained.
She noted that in 2022, Congress appropriated P80 billion to subsidize premiums of indigent families, senior citizens, and PWDs to PhilHealth.
However, the state health insurer reported that it failed to spend P24 billion of said amount.
Furthermore, in 2023 Congress appropriated P79 billion as premiums subsidy but P39 billion was also left unspent, Quimbo bared.
The Marikina lawmaker said PhilHealth’s financial reserves are expected to reach P463 billion in 2023, marking a 68% increase from the previous year.
(el Amigo/MNM)