By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) owes private hospitals across the country P6 billion in unpaid bills, Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PHAP) president, Dr. Rustico Jimenez, recently revealed.

He speculated the situation may force more private hospitals to close down, saying, “PhilHealth is paying, but it is too slow and too low to be considered as payment.”

Jimenez, who was in Bacolod City for the PHAP Visayas Regional Management Seminar, said 900 private hospitals have shut down due to slow PhilHealth payments.

The Bacolod Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital earlier announced it would be shutting down at the end of this month after their application for accreditation as a Level 2 PhilHealth provider was denied due to fraudulent acts.

Hospital management noted, PhilHealth still owes the facility P25 million in hospital bills.

In response to the specific situation, Jimenez said, “PhilHealth could always impose a fine, not remove its accreditation.”

“On Monday, we will have a meeting with the new PhilHealth president, Dr. Roy Ferrer,” he noted. “I will raise the matter and lobby for the reconsideration of the denial of accreditation because PhilHealth can just put a fine but not close the hospital.”

Following a meeting between the Bacolod City government and officials from the said hospital and PhilHealth last week, a pending resolution was drafted to allow the facility to remain open until July 30 instead of closing on the originally planned date./DGB, WDJ