PhilHealth: Benefits for members will continue despite zero subsidy in 2025 national budget
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) assured its members that it would continue to provide benefits for their medical needs.
The state insurer's president and CEO Emmanuel R. Ledesma Jr. issued a statement on Dec. 16. This came after the bicameral conference committee on Dec. 11 said PhilHealth would not receive additional subsidy from the national government in the 2025 budget.
"The decision of the bicameral conference committee reflects its wisdom. The bicam understands PhilHealth's capacity to continue managing the National Health Insurance Program given its surplus funds," he said.
Ledesma added that the state insurer's financial position is "strong" with P281 billion in reserves and P150 billion of surplus funds as of October 2024.
"Rest assured, all PhilHealth benefits will continue to be paid and will even improve," he said.
The Senate cited the agency's substantial unutilized P600 billion fund as the primary reason for the subsidy denial. Sen. Grace Poe, the national budget's sponsor in the Senate, said that the insurer must first exhaust its reserves fund.
Meanwhile, bicam member Rep. Jude Acidre said in a press conference on Dec. 16 that PhilHealth has "more than enough funds" for next year.
"Kung dadagdagan natin ulit 'yun, edi lalaki ulit 'yung inefficiency. We're not saying that we're not going to fund PhilHealth forever, sinasabi lang natin, ayusin natin, habang ganito lang," he said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. echoed this, saying that the state insurer has "sufficient budget to do all the things they want to do."
"The reason why we do not want to subsidize is because the subsidy, uupo lang sa bank account ng PhilHealth. Hindi magagamit…That’s the simple explanation. They have sufficient funds to carry on," the president said.
For 2025, PhilHealth said it would begin to cover eyeglasses and mobility aids, dental care services, and rare diseases.
