No ‘cutting down’ of PhilHealth members in province

THE Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental clarified the issue that it cut down the number of PhilHealth beneficiaries by not renewing several members.

A report came out that the Provincial Government until now failed to distribute the PhilHealth cards to its beneficiaries for this year.

Governor Oscar Moreno said all of PhilHealth beneficiaries and cardholders in the province have been renewed.

“In fact, this year alone, there were additional of 26,000 PhilHealth enrollees in the province,” Moreno said.

Maricel Casiño-Rivera, head of the Provincial Press Office, said the PhilHealth Regional Office will issue the cards and not the Provincial Government.

“The PhilHealth Regional Office until now has not yet distributed the ID cards. Usually these are given from January to February but until now, wala pa,” Rivera told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

She said the delay might be due to the segregation of the ID cards of PhilHealth enrollees who are now beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

It was learned that 4Ps beneficiaries are automatic PhilHealth members under the National Government.

She said there are 170,000 enrollees in the province who have yet to receive their PhilHealth ID cards.

But she emphasized that old enrollees can still avail of their health insurance even without the new ID card.

Rivera said the Provincial PhilHealth Office can issue certification that they are indeed PhilHealth member, in the absence of the ID card.

In Misamis Oriental, there were 191,000 indigent beneficiaries enrolled in PhilHealth under the sponsored program of the Provincial Government.