Dr. Jaime Almora, PHA president, told the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs during a hearing that the state-run insurer was reimbursing non-COVID claims but failing to remit COVID ones, causing both private and public hospitals "severe financial distress." Almora also told senators that they were not given an explanation for the non-reimbursement of their coronavirus claims. Almora said PhilHealth President and CEO Dante Gierran was "sympathetic and accommodating" when they raised the matter with him during a meeting held last April 5. PhilHealth told: Hire more personnel to quickly process hospital claimsSen. Joel Villanueva later Wednesday said PhilHealth "[a]s a multibillion corporation...cannot plead poverty as defense in failing to act on requests on time for lack of personnel." Villanueva specifically emphasized the plight of small private hospitals which he said must not be put in a "financial ICU."

Source: Philippine Star May 19, 2021 04:57 UTC