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PhilHealth sticking to hike premiums by Jan. 2021 as 'mandated by law'

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Nika Lazo, ABS-CBN News

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P-X87ZtR_Ew?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA - Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) will go ahead with the monthly premium hike of 3.5 percent beginning Jan. 1 next year as it is mandated by law, a PhilHealth official said Wednesday.</p><p>Under Section 10 of the Universal Health Care Act, monthly rates will rise to 3.5 percent in 2021 from 3 percent this year, thus raising minimum contributions to P350 from the current P300.</p><p>&quot;Atas iyan ng batas. Wala pong kapangyarihan ang PhilHealth na hindi ipatupad at amyendahan ang batas,&quot; Rey Baleña, senior manager of PhilHealth Corporate Communications Department, said in an interview with TeleRadyo.</p><p>(It is mandated by law. PhilHealth has no power to amend the law and stall implementation.)</p><p>&quot;Naniniwala ang ahensya na ito ang kailangan ng bayan lalo na at kinakalaban natin ang COVID-19. Tuloy po ang implementasyon ng mga programa at pagpapatupad ng Universal Healthcare,&quot; he added.</p><p>(We believe this is needed by our country as we fight COVID-19. We will continue to implement programs under the Universal Healthcare law.)</p><p>Under the law, the income ceiling will also be adjusted to P70,000 from P60,000, making monthly contributions rise to P2,450 from P1,800, Baleña said.</p><p>The rate adjustment is expected to yield &quot;close to P90 billion&quot; revenues from collections in 2021, said Balena. Direct contributions this year generated P77 billion in the agency&#x27;s revenues.</p><p>&quot;Malaking karagdagan po ito sa kasalukuyang pondo ng PhilHealth para maipagpatuloy natin ang mga reporma na nasimulan natin since 2019,&quot; he added.</p><p>(This is a significant reinforcement to PhilHealth funds for us to continue reforms we started in 2019.)</p><p>The PhilHealth official is referring to the &quot;immediate eligibility&quot; of members for healthcare services, especially those confined in hospitals and needing medical aid.</p><p>Baleña said they will also rollout Konsulta Package or Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama, which seeks to assign a designated healthcare provider -- whether a doctor or any healthcare professional -- to do regular checkups on Filipinos.</p><p>This can address the long-standing problem of not being able to detect illnesses of Filipinos even until death, Baleña said.</p><p>Like PhilHealth, SSS is also hiking its monthly contribution rates to 13 percent starting Jan. 1, from 12 percent at present.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/12/23/20/sss-to-hike-monthly-income-contribution-rates-to-13-pct-starting-jan-2021">SSS to hike monthly income contribution rates to 13 pct starting Jan. 2021</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CrC1cp0MEPg?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Workers and business groups had appealed against the imposition of the increase in PhilHealth and SSS contribution rates because of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/12/17/20/mga-manggagawa-negosyante-hulog-sa-sss-philhealth-huwag-muna-taasan">Mga manggagawa, negosyante: Hulog sa SSS, PhilHealth huwag muna taasan</a></li></ul><p>The PhilHealth this year also went through another round of investigation over alleged irregularities amid the coronavirus health crisis, resulting in changes in its leadership.</p><p>Also speaking with TeleRadyo on Wednesday, Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines said they are waiting for President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s decision on their appeal to delay the hike of the contributions. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/12/23/20/employers-group-appeals-to-duterte-for-deferment-of-sss-contribution-hike">Employers&#x27; group appeals to Duterte for deferment of SSS contribution hike</a></li></ul><p>He said if payment of taxes and electricity were deferred, then contribution adjustment for PhilHealth and SSS can be the same, through the emergency powers of the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 (IATF).</p><p>Ortiz-Luis noted it is hard to justify the rate increase when PhilHealth is also under fire due to corruption allegations.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/29/20/duterte-may-sisibakin-pa-sa-philhealth">Duterte, may sisibakin pa sa PhilHealth</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/01/20/palace-notes-philhealth-efforts-to-fight-corruption-as-duterte-deadline-nears">Palace notes PhilHealth efforts to fight corruption as Duterte deadline nears</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Yung pagtaas, i-defer muna yan. Sa panahon ngayon, kahit na piso, mahalaga sa mga tao, dahil kulang talaga kita ng tao,&quot; he said.</p><p>(Defer the hikes first. A single peso is valuable to the people during these times with their meager earnings.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0JGAe9ZICzE?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) will go ahead with the monthly premium hike of 3.5 percent beginning Jan. 1 next year as it is mandated by law, a PhilHealth official said Wednesday.</p>

Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) will go ahead with the monthly premium hike of 3.5 percent beginning Jan. 1 next year as it is mandated by law, a PhilHealth official said Wednesday.

PhilHealth sticking to hike premiums by Jan. 2021 as 'mandated by law'

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PhilHealth sticking to hike premiums by Jan. 2021 as 'mandated by law'

Nika Lazo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 30, 2020 01:32 PM PHT

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Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr.

Philhealth premium hike

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