ENOUGH FUNDS. PhilHealth Senior Vice President Renato Limsiaco Jr. (right) answers questions about premium payment collection and benefits payouts during a media forum in Pasig City on Monday (Dec. 2, 2024). He said PhilHealth’s focus is the proper disbursement of funds through the Konsulta Packages despite the cut in their requested PHP150 billion budget to cover its 25 million indirect contributors. (PNA photo by Ma. Teresa P. Montemayor)
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on Monday said it has sufficient funds to cover all the benefit package payments and planned expansion of package rates next year.
In a media forum in Pasig City, PhilHealth Senior Vice President Renato Limsiaco Jr. said all Filipinos could avail of their benefit packages both in hospital and primary care whether they would pay monthly premiums or not.
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The state insurer has requested a P150.92 billion budget to cover all its indirect contributors.
“This year from the sin tax fund, we received P40 million and the PCSO (Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office) and PAGCOR (Philippine Amateur Gaming Corporation), P21.73 million, we received P61 million all in all,” Limsiaco said.
“And for next year, another round of funding, so P21.1 million from PCSO for the improvement of benefits, and I think P47 million something is from the sin tax.”
He noted these funds will be added to the premium collection from direct contributors who are employees of the government and private companies, and those who are “self-paying”.
As of Oct. 31, the PhilHealth has a total fund of P485 billion.
It has collected a total of P172.3 billion premium payments as of Nov. 22.
It has disbursed P148.4 billion for benefits payments, leaving a balance of PHP23.9 billion as of Nov. 22.
“This P148.4 billion, this is unprecedented, because this is our highest benefit payout, November pa lang pero P148 na (it’s just November and the payout is already P148),” Limsiaco said.
“Last year P118 [billion] lamang ang naipalabas natin (We only disbursed P118[billion] last year),” he added.
He also assured the public that the P23.9 billion excess fund would be used for the expansion of benefit package coverages. (PNA)