Manila: Senator Loren Legarda emphasized the necessity of stable and automatic financing for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to maintain universal healthcare and ensure timely delivery of benefits to Filipinos. Legarda recently introduced Senate Bill No. 1662, the proposed PhilHealth Automatic Funding Act, which aims to mandate the automatic appropriation and release of all funds legally due to PhilHealth, thereby eliminating discretionary delays and preventing the diversion of resources intended for health services.
According to Philippines News Agency, Legarda highlighted that PhilHealth's ability to provide expanded benefits has been compromised by the government's failure to fully release revenues mandated by law, including proceeds from sin taxes and shares from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). Despite clear statutory mandates, she noted that allocations for PhilHealth in recent National Expenditure Programs fell short of the required amounts, referencing a Supreme Court ruling that ordered the return of PHP60 billion to PhilHealth and prohibited further diversion of its funds.
The proposed measure is intended to ensure predictable and stable financing by automatically appropriating and directly releasing all earmarked revenues to PhilHealth. Legarda stressed that healthcare should be regarded as a right rather than a privilege. To enhance transparency and accountability, the bill also requires the Bureau of Internal Revenue, PAGCOR, and PCSO to submit quarterly reports to Congress on their remittances to PhilHealth and to publish these reports on their official websites.
Legarda stated that stable financing is essential for universal healthcare. By mandating the automatic release of funds, the bill seeks to strengthen congressional oversight, secure transparency, and guarantee that PhilHealth can deliver expanded benefits to every Filipino family. She affirmed that automatic funding is crucial for sustaining the country's health system and making universal healthcare a reality for Filipinos.
