By Fernan Angeles
AMID ballooning bills covering government-procured services and supplies to test COVID-19 infected patients, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) said on Tuesday that the state insurer needs to renegotiate with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for additional funds needed to cover for COVID-19 tests as its bills have already exceeded the agreed allocation.
“Clarify po natin, meron tayong memorandum of agreement with Red Cross to give them certain amount… P910 million ang in-approve ng Board so ibibigay po natin sa kanila ‘yun depende sa bills na binibigay nila,” PhilHealth spokesperson Shirley Domingo said.
“So far, lahat ng bills nila ay binayaran namin umabot na po ng P504 million ang naibayad namin sa Red Cross,” Domingo said.
PRC chairman, now Senator Richard Gordon earlier said PhilHealth’s bills to PRC have gone up to more than P700 million and the latter is likely to halt accepting COVID-19 tests that should be charged to the state insurer until the balances are paid.
However, the PhilHealth official said that the more than P700-million that needs to be settled are “new billings” and were only submitted last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
“Hindi naman natin ire-release agad ‘yan it has to be processed saka lalampas na siya sa total amount na in-approve ng Board,” Domingo said.
“We have to renegotiate this. To get another amount to be approved by the Board, to give additional funds kasi may limit tayo ng P910 million,” she said.
Domingo added that they would only be able to process around P400 million or the balance of the agreed P910 million allocation adding that the excess of the balance will have to be approved by PhilHealth’s Board of Directors.
She however appears skeptical over the the deadline given by Gordon, citing the proper government procedure. PhilHealth has until Tuesday to settle the bills.
“Constantly naman may nakikipag-usap sa point person diyan sa Red Cross,” she said.
To hasten the process, she added that PRC’s concern will be brought to the attention of the PhilHealth Board.