PRIVATE hospitals across the country are demanding from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to pay P6 billion that it owes them since 2017.
Dr. Rustico Jimenez, president of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc., said their members all over the country have about more than P6 billion collectibles to Philhealth since last year.
"We are demanding payment from PhilHealth that is about P6 billion due to the hospitals,” Jimenez said.
He also revealed that they are suspecting that PhilHealth is now having financial difficulties.
He said hospitals used to have collectibles to PhilHealth in previous years but this has not reached such amount.
"This time it's too much, to the point that two hospitals already closed. One in Bicol and one in Quezon," he said.
Jimenez said PhilHealth is inconsiderate particularly in instances when the latter considers a claim fraudulent and immediately classifies the hospital with a “red tag” without even hearing the side of the hospital.
He said if the hospital fails to explain in 30 days, it will lose its accreditation.
PhilHealth can suspend or deny the accreditation of the hospitals because according to them they (hospitals) have already signed the Memorandum of Understanding with them, Jimenez said.
"But that is not always true because under the democratic process you have to have the side of the hospital," Jimenez lamented.
PHAPI held their Visayas Regional Management Seminar at L' Fisher Hotel on Friday, June 22
PHAPI has 900 private hospital members.
Dr. Bernadette Lico, Project Management Team for Claims of Philhealth Central Office said they are striving to improve the process because it was only in 2017 that they shifted from manual claims processing to electronics claim processing.
They are also doing the matching and reconciliation of hospitals data to that of Philhealth through online reconciliation claims and reconciliation summary module so that the hospitals could see it online.