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MANILA – Finance Secretary Ralph Recto proposed to significantly increase the benefit packages of PhilHealth for the 10 most common illnesses.
Increasing PhilHealth’s benefit packages for the top 10 diseases will ensure that the state health insurer’s funds are being effectively utilized, Recto said during a press conference at the Malacañan Palace in Manila following the signing of the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“Maybe we should focus on the top 10 illnesses. I think that’s it. Let’s increase the benefit package for the top 10 illnesses by 100 percent, even 200 percent. This would greatly benefit the public,” he said.
The agency did not get any subsidy allocation under the 2025 GAA signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
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PhilHealth’s fault
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman explained that the President can only delete line items in the enrolled bill but cannot put additional allocations.
Recto said PhilHealth has P280 billion in reserve funds.
“My understanding is that, Congress did that because the operating budget of PhilHealth is sufficient,” he said.
“They have a surplus of roughly P150 billion the last time I looked at it. They have investments of more than P400 billion. They will probably earn P200 billion in 2025. They will spend the 150 billion.”
He said the DOF will closely monitor PhilHealth’s expenditure to ensure that funds are effectively utilized next year. (PNA)