Senator Imee Marcos has filed a bill that aims to suspend the hike in PhilHealth contributions for 2021.
Filipinos were supposed to begin their premium contributions of 3.50 percent as mandated in second 10 of the Universal Health Care Act or Republic Act No. 11223, and Senate Bill no. 1966 aims to defer the hike to 2022.
“Due to the current situation, in the wake of a pandemic, it is but appropriate to suspend such increase of premium contributions because it will only impose an additional burden to contributors during this period of overwhelming economic and financial difficulty,” explained Senator Marcos.
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Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed that he is in favor of deferring the contribution hike of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) members amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement of Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go.
“Base sa usapan namin ni Pangulong Duterte, sang-ayon naman po siya na ipagpaliban pansamantala muna ang pagtaas sa rates ng contributions ng PhilHealth habang may pandemya pa tayong kinakaharap,” the senator said in a statement.
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Go added that the government should also weigh in if there is a need to subsidize the needed contribution pending legislation.
“Sinabi niya na kung may maipapasang batas ang lehislatibo na naglalayong ipatupad ang deferment, o kung may kailangang aprubahan na dagdag na pondo mula gobyerno para hindi maantala ang serbisyo ng PhilHealth, pipirmahan niya ito pagkatapos mapag-aralan ng mabuti,” he added.
