PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, June 8, ordered the arrest of the private dialysis center in Quezon City for allegedly claiming benefits for “fictitious” kidney treatments.
Duterte gave the directive, as he stressed that it was “totally unacceptable” to him that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has incurred huge losses because of the fraudulent scheme carried out by its accredited health provider WellMed Dialysis and Laboratory Center in Novaliches, Quezon City.
“PhilHealth privileges were abused tremendously. As of last count, it was about P154 something, if I’m not mistaken, [the government lost P154] billion... But the sheer amount na P100 something billion [was lost] is totally, totally unacceptable to me,” the President said in a television show.
“I’ll tell the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), ‘Arrest the idiot.’ And I will bring him to Malacañang and I’ll ask him, ‘Tell me the truth or I’ll throw you to the river.’ But he will be extricated, we’ll not allow him to be drowned,” he added.
The PhilHealth has already filed administrative cases against WellMed for misrepresentation and falsification, following the “ghost” kidney treatments.
The dialysis center has reportedly been filing “ghost” claims for dead patients since 2016.
WellMed, however, denied Thursday, June 6, that it has been claiming benefits of deceased patients.
A report by local news firm The Philippine Daily Inquirer that the PhilHealth lost a total of P154 billion since 2013.
Despite the controversy, Duterte said he believes in the “integrity and honestycof Roy Ferrer, acting president and chief executive officer of PhilHealth.
He, however, said he might order the revamp of the PhilHealth management because of the scandal that made the government suffer from losses of billions of pesos.
“Now, I do not have the slightest doubt about the integrity and honesty of Roy Ferrer,” Duterte said.
“I’m making the announcement that I am maybe reshuffling the PhilHealth... For the sheer amount that was lost, I have to reorganize your entity, change maybe all of you and install a more systems of accounting and accountability,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)