PhilHealth heeds Duterte, defers contribution rate hike

Published January 5, 2021 6:01pm By TED CORDERO, GMA News The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is deferring the scheduled hike of its members’ contribution this year. advertisement This is in accordance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to forego any increase in members’ premium amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “PhilHealth is one with the President in his effort to ease the burden on many Filipinos being affected by the pandemic,” the state insurer said. “In response to his directive, PhilHealth will still collect premiums from Direct Contributors using the 3% instead of the 3.5% contributions rate; and the P60,000 instead of the P70,000 ceiling in CY 2020,” it added. PhilHealth members were supposed to contribute 3.5% of their monthly wages starting January 2021 from the 3% rate in 2020 to ensure “sufficient funding for the healthcare benefits of its 110 million members as mandated by the UHC Law.” The contribution hike was not received well by the public since it was announced as the country grapples with the COVID-19 crisis and after a multi-billion-peso corruption scandal rocked the state health insurer, leading to the resignation and the filing of charges against several of its top executives. “This interim arrangement will be good until Congress is able to pass a new law allowing the deferment of the scheduled premium adjustment in the Universal Health Care Act of 2019,” the PhilHealth said. “Should there be no new legislation passed for this purpose, the state health insurer will proceed with the scheduled premium rate and ceiling as provided for in the UHC law,” the state insurer said. Under the UHC law, the premium rate shall increase to increments of 0.5% every year, starting 2021 until it reaches the 5% limit in 2025. “Cognizant of the current fortuitous situation that ravaged so many lives and derailed the economy, PhilHealth will do its part in alleviating the lives of Filipinos especially insofar as their health is concerned,” the state insurer said. “It commits itself to closely work with both houses of Congress for the most viable whole of government and whole of nation solution pursuant to existing laws,” PhilHealth said. -NB, GMA News

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