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COA flags PhilHealth’s incomplete documentation of P8.27 billion RT-PCR tests

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Adrian Ayalin, ABS-CBN News

The Commission on Audit has flagged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation for spending P8.278 billion on RT-PCR tests from April 2020 to May 2022 due to improperly accomplished Case Investigation Forms or CIFs.In the 2022 <a href="https://www.coa.gov.ph/reports/annual-audit-reports/aar-government-owned-and-or-controlled-corporations/#199-6138-philippine-health-insurance-corporation-1691115584">audit </a>report on PhilHealth, state auditors said the propriety and occurrence of claims to the contractor for 2.48 million tests could not be reasonably established because of violation of the provisions of the Memorandum of Agreement between the state-owned corporation and the contractor.“The issue of incomplete documentation of claims for RT-PCR testing was already communicated in the previous years’ audits, as presented in the Annual Audit Reports for Calendar Years 2021 and 2020,” the audit team said. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/19/23/doh-ritm-to-resume-covid-19-testing">DOH: RITM may now resume COVID-19 testing</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/28/22/unvaxxed-onsite-workers-in-level-2-and-up-areas-need-covid-testing-govt">Unvaxxed onsite workers in Alert Level 2-and-up areas need COVID testing: gov&#x27;t</a></li></ul>Broken down, the P8.278 billion total payments made to the contractor include P3.375 billion for April 2020 to December 2020, P4.576 billion from January 2021 to December 2021 and P326.697 million from January 2022 to May 2022.Among the deficiencies cited during the first year of implementation were lack of complete addresses, admission date, procedure date, as well as 764 members being tested twice in one day. The audit team said there was noticeable improvement in the provision of data in the line lists but the absence of the duly accomplished forms constrained the team from verifying the consistency of the data. For its part, PhilHealth stressed that the partnership with its contractor took place in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic when there was an urgent need for immediate care and specimen testing.PhilHealth also noted that the CIF does not have a signature line since it is electornically generated and the information contained in the forms were obtained from patient interviews conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard.“Management also mentioned that the Partner Contractor agreed to attend a facilitated dialogue with the Audit Team to lay out the challenges encountered in obtaining fully completed CIFs, including patients’ signatures, which is substantial to address the noted findings and recommendations,” the audi team noted.A copy of the report was received by the office of Philhealth President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. on July 31, 2023.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1783939" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The Commission on Audit has flagged the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation for spending P8.278 billion on RT-PCR tests from April 2020 to May 2022 due to improperly accomplished Case Investigation Forms or CIFs.

COA flags PhilHealth’s incomplete documentation of P8.27 billion RT-PCR tests

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COA flags PhilHealth’s incomplete documentation of P8.27 billion RT-PCR tests

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 04, 2023 05:05 PM PHT

|

Updated August 04, 2023 05:53 PM PHT

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