Overhaul sa PhilHealth isinusulong sa Kamara

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda

Isinusulong ni House Committee on Ways and Means Chair at Albay Rep. Joey Salceda ang isang panukala upang magkaroon ng overhaul sa Philippine Health Insurance Corporation o PhilHealth.

Sa ilalim ng House Bill No. 7578 o PhilHealth Reform Act of 2020, nais ni  Salceda na magpatupad ng overhaul sa national health insurer’s operations.

Kapag ginawa anya ito ay makatitiyak na mawawala ang katiwalian at mismanagement sa PhilHealth at mapopondohan ang universal health care.

Sa ilalim ng panukala, ang Secretary of Finance na ang magiging chairman of the board ng PhilHealth.

Bilang isang insurance at investment agency, sinabi ni Salceda kailangang mahusay sa financial management ang mauupo rito.

Sabi ni Salceda, “PhilHealth is a financial company. We need the same caliber of management in GSIS for PhilHealth. In the US, their Center for Medicare and Medicaid services is chaired by the Secretary of Treasury. That is a model that is more consistent with the character of insurance management.”

Nakapaloob din dito na hindi na rin kailangang magbayad ng kontribusyon ang mga overseas Filipino workers dahil sa hindi naman sa Pilipinas nanggagaling ang kanilang kita bukod pa sa hindi naman nila napapakinabangan ang serbisyo ng state health insurer.

Nakasaad din dito na magiging progressive ang premium contribution scheme kung saan ang mga minimum wage earners na walang binabayarang buwis ay magbabayad na lamang ng P100 buwanang premium.

“We are tying the premium contribution to income and are ending the income ceiling system. Under the old scheme, the more you earn above the ceiling, the less you pay as a share of income. This is of course not progressive.” ani Salceda.

“We are improving the system by linking it with income. We will also help stamp out income reporting fraud since tax returns can be the basis for the premiums,” dagdag pa niya.