The Cebu City Council, seen here in a huddle in this file photo, wants to know if each patient’s bill would exceed the ceiling set by the city medical aid program.
The Cebu City Council wants to consult with the City Accounting Office first before authorizing payment to private hospitals that accommodated patients from the quake-damaged Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).
“We have to be prudent about this. The transfer of patients to private hospitals will continue for the next two years while CCMC is not yet operating,” said Councilor Margot Osmeña, chairperson of the City Council’s budget committee.
The council specifically wanted to know if each patient’s bill exceeded the P25,000 maximum coverage of the City Hospitalization Assistance and Medicines Program (Champ).
CCMC’s patients were transferred to several private hospitals after the city government run hospital sustained severe damage in the Oct. 15 earthquake last year.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama earlier sought the council’s approval to charge P2.2 million worth of hospital bills incurred by 38 CCMC patients to the city’s share of Pagcor funds.
Payment claims were made by Perpetual Succour Hospital worth P1.15 million, Cebu Doctors’ Hospital (P0.436 million), Chong Hua Hospital (P0.419 million), Adventist Hospital (P0.143 million) and Velez General Hospital (P54,081).
Osmeña said in yesterday morning’s session that except for
Chong Hua Hospital, all four hospitals presented their billing statements to the city last November.
She questioned the inclusion of professional fees of P84,339 and “pulmonary” charge of P16,116 in the billing statement submitted by Perpetual Succour Hospital. Osmeña said the council must clarify these charges to see if it qualifies for Champ coverage.
In her budget committee report, Osmeña reminded CCMC head Dr. Gloria Duterte to make sure that hospital-related expenses are charged to Champ which is allocated P100 million per year.
But since the money claims of the five private hospitals were made last year and the previous year’s book of accounts were already closed, the council could authorize use of Pagcor funds to settle the obligation.
Councilor Hanz Abella said it was important for the council to be guided if charges of more than P25,000 may still be covered by the city’s Champ.