Best Christmas gift ever, 30% increase in PhilHealth benefits – Lee

Manila, Philippines – This Christmas, let’s give our kababayan a gift that they will be able to use for the rest of their lives: better healthcare.

This was the message of AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee to members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) Board of Directors (BOD), who are scheduled to convene on December 14 to decide on key matters, among which is a pending proposal to increase PhilHealth’s benefit packages from 10% to 30% across the board.

Lee, who in a letter to PhilHealth dated 23 October 2023 recommended a 20-30% across the board increase in all its benefit packages and coverage, pointed out that “our countrymen constantly worry about getting sick because of the high costs of quality medical care.”

“This Christmas, bigyan naman natin ang mga kababayan natin ng peace of mind, regaluhan natin sila ng assurance na ‘pag nagkasakit sila, sagot ang gastos nila ng PhilHealth.”

Lee had earlier filed House Resolution No. 1407 on October 26 urging PhilHealth to update and increase its coverage to 20-30% since its case rate “is no longer responsive to the hospitalization cost of the beneficiaries.”

In the 29 November 2023 of the House Committee on North Luzon Growth Quadrangle, PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. revealed that the agency is already currently working on increasing the benefit packages across the board from anywhere from 10% to 30%. While the proposal has already passed the executive committee, it still needs the approval of the PhilHealth BOD.

The board is composed of 11 members. It is chaired by Department of Health (DOH) Sec. Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, and among its members are the following Cabinet Secretaries: Social Welfare and Development Sec. Rex Gatchalian, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, Finance Sec. Benjamin Diokno, and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

According to Lee, he welcomed efforts by PhilHealth to comply with their commitment to settle their debts with hospitals. Ledesma reported that from August to November 2023, PhilHealth settled debts amounting to P31 billion.

In September this year during the DOH budget briefing, Lee revealed that despite PhilHealth’s P466-B worth of investible funds and P68.4-B net income, he had received numerous complaints regarding the agency’s debts to hospitals.

“Lagi kong sinasabi, our role in government is to lighten the load of our constituents,” stressed Lee, “at hindi dapat tayo pabigat.”

“By paying these hospitals and increasing the benefits of PhilHealth members, we are giving a truly meaningful Christmas gift to millions of Filipinos: quality affordable healthcare. In a society where both the rich and the poor have access to proper medical treatment, Winner Tayo Lahat.”