PhilHealth assures it can pay COVID-19 testing debts to Red Cross

October 16, 2020

 Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) President and Chief Executive Officer Dante Gierran said Friday it will be able to pay their financial obligations to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) over coronavirus disease (COVID-19) tests it has conducted.

In a television interview, Gierran said even as their financial obligations is nearing P1 billion, PhilHealth will settle its debts.

"We have an outstanding payment to Red Cross... One thing is sure also, PhilHealth will settle them because we have money for that," said Gierran.

He said there is a possibility the amount could be lower than the P930,993,000 the Red Cross claims.

Gierran said this was after PhilHealth sought for an adjustment of the testing fee from P3,500 to P3,409.

"Before I came, P3,500 per testing. Then, because of the decreasing cost lately, it is now just P3,409," said Gierran.

On Thursday, the PRC announced that it will no longer process COVID-19 tests charged to PhilHealth .due to the latter's big debt . DMS