Better health coverage or infradev?

There ain’t no need to ask why Department of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto snatched P90 billion in PhilHealth people’s funds in favor of infra development. Born with a golden spoon, he wouldn’t understand the financial health challenges facing poor people like us.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. was created to ensure a sustainable national health insurance program with funds contributed by its members who currently stand at 104 million strong. They share 2.5 percent of their monthly pay while the other 2.5 percent is shouldered by the employer.

Whenever hospitalized, about 30 percent of the bill is on the PhilHealth account. By any measure insignificant because as we all know hospital owners are worse than loan sharks in their shrewdness, charging patients for even a single cotton ball, as an example.

PhilHealth has been in the news since Recto took over. Right away, he raided the GOCC’s funds to finance “unprogrammed appropriations.” Reps. Joey Salceda and Elizaldy Co, both rich men, insensitive and bootlicking cohorts, supported Vilma Santos’s husband’s act.

I saw no legal or whatnot justification that will satisfy and be understood by the poor men and women in this Oriental part of the planet. With a mere 30 percent of our hospital bill shouldered by PhilHealth, instead of the entire bill, patients have to resort to taking out loans or seeking assistance either from VP Sara Duterte or Senator Bong Go to cover the huge bill balance, otherwise the patient is held in captivity.

Recto, instead of using the so-called idle or excess billions in PhilHealth member funds for their critical hospital and medical needs, preferred a non-humane use for the monies. Cruel!

Senate Health Committee Chair Bong Go in a DAILY TRIBUNE story questioned “the transfer’s legality, asserting that the budget originally allocated for the healthcare sector must, above all, be utilized for financially challenged patients. The members’ funds MUST be used to improve and increase their healthcare insurance coverage and benefits.”

Recently, Sen. Koko Pimentel asked the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional the diverted P89.9-B fund, citing Article VI, Section 29 (3) of the Constitution: “All money collected for any tax levied for a special purpose shall be treated as a special fund and paid out for such purpose only.” Give to Caesar what is due to Caesar, Sir Philip!

Better health benefits or roads, ports and bridges?