Senator Poe Urges PhilHealth to Use Surplus Funds for Health Worker Allowances

MANILA — Senator Grace Poe has proposed that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) utilize its unspent funds to cover outstanding government payments for health worker allowances, she announced Wednesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, PhilHealth’s net income has shown significant annual growth, escalating from PHP4 billion in 2019 to an expected PHP61 billion by the end of 2024. Poe emphasized that these increasing reserves make PhilHealth well-positioned to assume responsibility for the health emergency allowance (HEA) payments due to healthcare professionals. “We are now taking from PhilHealth what should have been given to our health workers long ago,” Poe stated, highlighting the urgency of redirecting these funds to where they are most needed.

Recto also noted that PhilHealth did not fully utilize its savings during the pandemic, despite these being the kinds of emergency situations for which the funds are intended. The underutilization of such reserves not only limited direct support to health initiatives like the HEA but also contributed to increased national borrowing during the health crisis. He has recommended that PhilHealth improve its benefit packages to ensure more effective use of its substantial financial resources for the benefit of its members.