PhilHealth acturial life until 2021: official

August 4, 2020

The actuarial life of the Philippine Health Corp. (PhilHealth) will last until 2021, a official told a virtual Senate hearing Tuesday.

Ma. Nerissa Santiago, acting senior vice president, made the reply when questioned by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon,

''Unless there are subsidies, it will collapse?,''asked Drilon. ''Yes, sir,'' replied Santiago.

Santiago said Philhealth is expected to incur an operating loss of P90 billion this year.''Unless there is a vaccine by 2021, it  (operating loss) is expected to reach P147 million,'' she said.

The Senate, which convened as a Committee of the Whole virtually, is examining the alleged graft and corruption at PhilHealth, which has led President Rodrigo Duterte to order an investigation.

PhilHealth board member Al Cabading claimed its president Ricardo Morales pushed for a reportedly overpriced information technology program, which initially cost P2.1 billion.

Resigned PhilHealth official Thorrsson Montes Keith claimed that PhilHealth officials pocketed P15 billion.

''I believe that the amount spent and pocketed amounted to around P15 billion,''he said.

Keith also alleged that Morales told him to talk to Philippine Anti-Corruption Commissioner Greco Belgica regarding its testing kits for COVID-19, which were said to be overpriced. DMS