Senator Christopher "Bong" Go emphasized the urgent need for systemic reforms in PhilHealth during the Senate's regular plenary session on Thursday, November 7, focusing on the 2025 budget deliberations for the Department of Finance (DOF).

In his interpellation, Go reiterated long-standing financial management issues and controversial policies that have plagued the agency, highlighting the critical need for timely and decisive intervention following months of Senate Health hearings.

He highlighted specific issues, particularly the "single period of confinement" policy and the "24-hour confinement rule," which he argued unfairly restrict coverage and create unnecessary barriers for patients who need repeated or short-term medical care.

"During our first hearing, which our Secretary of Finance attended, doon po natin na-diskubre na meron pang PHP 500 billion na reserve fund ang PhilHealth," he reiterated, criticizing the “single period of confinement” policy, which bars patients from being admitted for the same illness within a three-month period, even if symptoms reoccur.

He labeled the policy as “unacceptable” and questioned the rationale behind denying coverage based on time limits. Go noted that this rule essentially punishes patients for seeking treatment within an arbitrary timeframe, regardless of their health condition or the unpredictability of certain illnesses.

Go has pressed PhilHealth to accelerate its reforms following the long-overdue scrapping of the Single Period of Confinement (SPC) policy last month. While its removal was a significant step triggered by Go’s consistent appeals for reform, he also highlighted the 24-hour confinement rule, which required patients to be hospitalized for at least a day to qualify for insurance coverage. PhilHealth officials have also committed to revisiting and removing this rule.

"Nadiskubre rin natin itong 24-hour admission requirement nila na kailangan magpa-admit ka ng 24-hour para i-cover ng PhilHealth," he said. "Kalokohan rin po ‘yun. Bakit hindi mo na lang gamitin ‘yung pondo kung magpapa-admit ka ng 24 hours, ‘yung pambayad mo sa kwarto, pambayad mo nalang sa mga medisina."

He argued that this policy ultimately prevents PhilHealth from fulfilling its mission of alleviating the financial burden on patients. Following consistent pressure and a series of hearings in the Senate Health Committee, PhilHealth has made several commitments to improve its services and policies.

"After consistent and continuous appeals and numerous Senate Health Committee hearings, PhilHealth has officially committed to assure implementation of its promises," Go shared.

The controversial "single period of confinement" policy has already been eliminated, while the 24-hour confinement rule is set to be scrapped by year-end