Ping pushes Congress’ full support for Universal Health Care in 2021: Pero ikulong agad ang tiwali sa PhilHealth!

The Universal Health Care program should still get full support from Congress in 2021 despite the shameless corruption at the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Monday.

But Lacson, who bared several irregularities at PhilHealth last August, said the government’s health program would be more meaningful if those behind the corruption were thrown into jail soonest.

“Despite the shameless corruption in PhilHealth, the 2021 Universal Health Care budget deserves full support from Congress. But we can make our health care program more meaningful by immediately putting in jail all those who stole our money, directly or otherwise,” Lacson said in a post on his Twitter account.

Despite the shameless corruption in PhilHealth, the 2021 Universal Health Care budget deserves full support from Congress. But we can make our healthcare program more meaningful by immediately putting in jail all those who stole our money, directly or otherwise.

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) September 7, 2020

In a statement, Lacson also said PhilHealth – now under a new leadership with the resignation of at least two key officials – should make sure the funds it gets to implement the Universal Health Care Act in 2021 will not go to waste.

“A PhilHealth under new leadership should make sure that the funds it gets for 2021 to implement the Universal Health Care Act go to the intended beneficiaries instead of its favored few,” he said.

Lacson earlier bared some PhilHealth officials’ abuse of the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) where the state insurer disbursed IRM COVID funds to “favored” health care institutions, even if such institutions do not handle COVID patients.

Other irregularities Lacson bared involved overpricing of IT equipment and doctoring of PhilHealth’s financial records.

At least two PhilHealth officials have resigned – Ricardo Morales as President/CEO, and Rodolfo del Rosario Jr. as senior vice president for legal sector. President Rodrigo Duterte named former National Bureau of Investigation director Dante Gierran as PhilHealth’s new PCEO.

Other PhilHealth officials may face charges based on the findings of the Senate Committee of the Whole that conducted hearings on the matter. The Senate panel has shared its findings with a powerhouse task force led by the Department of Justice.

Meanwhile, Lacson said PhilHealth and other agencies tasked to implement the Universal Health Care program should not contribute to the program’s failure, in the same way Congress will work to contribute to the program’s success.

“In the same way that Congress will contribute to the success of the Universal Health Care Act, PhilHealth and the other agencies tasked with implementing it should not contribute to its failure,” he said.

The post Ping pushes Congress' full support for Universal Health Care in 2021: Pero ikulong agad ang tiwali sa PhilHealth! first appeared on Latest Philippine politics news today.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)