By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Task Force Crusaders (TFC) national deputy commander John Chiong confirmed yesterday that a team from the Department of Health (DOH) arrived in Bacolod City Thursday to investigate alleged health insurance fraud in the province.
This is in response, Chiong said in a press conference, to a letter he sent last month to Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial.
The civic leader added he is going to meet with the DOH team today and turn over to them the documents pertaining to the case.
In his letter sent to Ubial last April 6, Chiong said his group received complaints from medical practitioners claiming the fraud committed involves the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), some hospitals, some members of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) some of whom are joining this so-called Cataract Foundation, and many social and health workers of the government.
“Despite PhilHealth’s sanctions imposed many years ago against some hospital’s massive and widespread recruitment of cataract patients with PhilHealth by a group called Cataract Foundation, enjoining government health workers particularly in Negros Occidental, goes on,” the letter said.
According to additional information released in the letter, the patients are reportedly taken to private hospitals in groups, although one particular private hospital is the most preferred where cataract patients are operated by three doctors of the same surname. They charge their services and professional fees to PhilHealth.
The foundation is also getting something, although supposedly gives free cataract surgery but it charges fees against PhilHealth.
Moreover, the Cataract Foundation would also allegedly pay government health and social workers to “solicit” patients for them.
Chiong claimed that the practice has been going on and even PhilHealth did not lift a hand despite the pattern, causing losses in millions of pesos to the government and depriving others who also need medical and surgical assistance from the government./WDJ