07 January 2018
Before the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.
(PhilHealth) increases contributions from 2.5 to 2.75 percent starting this
month, a truly THOROUGH AND COMPREHENSIVE AUDIT of its funds must be done.
For the simple reason that Health Secretary
Francisco Duque III DID NOT CITE ANY EMERGENCY OR FUND SHORTAGE in announcing
the increase to media at a forum last Friday (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/957817/philhealth-raises-premium-contributions-by-25.)
These are all that Duque had to say in
justifying the increase in contribution: “PhilHealth has been existing for
three decades and it is hiking its premium contributions only now. This will
double the actual solvency of PhilHealth’s reserve fund from the current four
years to eight and a half years.” Duque
added that the increase in contributions aims to beef up PhilHealth’s social
insurance benefit packages. But HE DID NOT SPECIFY the supposed benefits.
So if the reserve fund is solvent good at
present for four long years, WHY DOUBLE IT NOW? WHY NOT AFTER A YEAR OR TWO? WHAT
EXACTLY is the added contributions FOR? PhilHealth members HAVE ALL THE RIGHT
TO KNOW. IT’S THEIR HARD-EARNED MONEY that’s at stake. They’re not bank
accounts or automated tellering machines (ATM) units from which money can be
drawn by Philhealth anytime and they can’t ask why.
And so what if PhilHealth has been around for
three decades or 30 years and is raising contributions only now? It’s a
NON-STOCK, NON-PROFIT government agency. It’s for the POOR and the ELDERLY. It’s
NOT FOR PHILHEALTH OFFICIALS AND PERSONNEL alone. Unless anybody can produce a
law saying that PhilHealth is allowed to HAVE OR RAISE TONS OF EXTRA CASH
ANYTIME WHENEVER IT FEELS LIKE IT.
That’s why a THOROUGH AUDIT must be conducted,
fast, of PhilHealth’s funds before it increases contributions. In FAIRNESS to
the MILLIONS of PhilHealth members. If there’s nothing to hide, then an immediate
and special audit should not be a problem for Duque or any other PhilHealth
officials. If something is wrong, then it would be the height of INJUSTICE AND
INHUMANITY to let the member suffer through higher contributions. 30
.
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