The House of Representatives has approved a ?60-billion subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) as part of the 2026 Department of Health budget, with Rep. Brian Poe emphasizing that the funds must ‘go directly to the patients who need it,’ not remain idle in government accounts.
In a budget hearing marked by calls for accountability, Poe warned against allowing the substantial health allocation to ‘sit in a bank’ while Filipinos continue to struggle with out-of-pocket medical expenses and delayed hospital reimbursements.
During the October 8 appropriations hearing, Rep. Poe stressed that the subsidy must be used explicitly to expand benefit packages particularly the enhanced primary care package and to ensure ‘timely financial provisions for the members in line with Universal Health Care Act.’
He expressed concern that without strict oversight, PhilHealth might divert the funds to operational maintenance, which he noted the agency could already finance from its existing reserves of over ?464 billion.
Rep. Poe also highlighted growing frustrations in the private hospital sector over chronic payment delays from PhilHealth. ‘We are granting them this ?60B additional funding for their subsidy,’ he said, urging the agency to ‘expedite the payment through the private sector’ and recognize hospitals’ patience in prioritizing patient welfare despite financial strain.
He underscored that public trust hinges on tangible results. ‘My worry is if we put the ?60 billion and it doesn’t go toward the packages or timely payment of hospitals, people might not even feel we put in ?60 billion for them,’ he said.
To safeguard public interest, Poe supported the inclusion of a special provision requiring PhilHealth to submit a detailed utilization report by June 30, 2026. The move aims to ensure transparency and inform future budget decisions, tying funding directly to performance and patient impact under the Universal Health Care framework. /mr/dm