Cielo Magno, an Economist, Speaks on PhilHealth Executives amid the Zero Subsidy Issue
PHILHEALTH EXECUTIVES – Economist Cielo Magno claims that removing the officials of the state health insurer is the proper punishment.
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s budget allocation for 2025 is one of the controversial topics recently. The lawmakers agreed to give the state health insurer zero subsidy for next year.
Senator Grace Poe who heads the Senate Finance Committee said that PhilHealth will be given zero subsidy in 2025 as they will have to use their reserve funds. According to the lawmaker, the state entity has possibly around P600 billion reserve funds.
Poe said that the funds were kept in a bank account. She also expressed that the government is supposedly in a losing end as the money earns very little.
Senate President Chiz Escudero also spoke on the issue of giving zero subsidy for PhilHealth. According to the lawmaker, it is because of the lapses of the national health insurer. He stressed that the mandate under the Universal Healthcare Law was allegedly not followed.
Escudero also stressed that they do not want to reward the lapses of PhilHealth by giving them another budget that will not be utilized. The Senate President expressed his hope that it will be a wake up call to the state health insurer.
However, as for economist Cielo Magno, depriving the state health insurer of a subsidy is allegedly not the proper punishment over the lapses of the state entity. Based on ABS-CBN News, she stressed that the firing of the PhilHealth executives is allegedly the proper punishment.
Magno is an economist and a former finance undersecretary. She stressed the funding of the state entity can be used in expanding the coverage and benefits of the members.
Following the statements of the lawmakers regarding the zero subsidy for national health insurer, PhilHealth said that they will appeal the zero subsidy appropriation for 2025. They are set to write a letter to Pres. Bongbong Marcos although they assured that their funds can handle the operations costs and the member benefits.