TINGOG Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre has stated that the long-standing inefficiencies in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) are not a new issue, but one that was overlooked by the Duterte administration.
During a hearing by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, Acidre clarified that the problems faced by PhilHealth did not emerge overnight.
“The issue didn’t start just last year; it has been ongoing because previous administrations, including the Duterte administration, failed to address it,” Acidre explained.
The lawmaker pointed out that under the proposed 2025 national budget, PhilHealth would receive no subsidy, a move intended to address the agency’s inefficiencies.
Despite this, Acidre emphasized that PhilHealth still holds substantial funds and reserves.
He also criticized the fact that PhilHealth’s benefit case rates remained unchanged for 12 years, despite rising healthcare costs.
“Since 2012, the amount PhilHealth pays for each illness package remained the same until February of this year,” Acidre noted.
Acidre further highlighted the failure of the Duterte administration, which had six years to resolve the issue.
“In those six years, especially during the Duterte administration, they should have been more diligent in updating our PhilHealth packages,” he said.
He added that the lack of stability in PhilHealth leadership, with six different PhilHealth presidents during Duterte’s tenure, may have worsened the situation.
“It’s very difficult to have a new PhilHealth President every year,” Acidre remarked.
Acidre also questioned the decision to triple the salaries of PhilHealth executives during the COVID-19 pandemic while benefits for members remained unchanged.
“During the pandemic, our benefits did not grow, but the salaries of PhilHealth executives tripled,” he said, referring to a Commission on Audit (COA) report that revealed an increase in top executives’ compensation from P26.202 million in 2021 to P72.244 million in 2022.
Given these ongoing issues, Acidre expressed that the dissatisfaction and frustration of PhilHealth members are growing, as their premium contributions do not appear to be properly utilized.