Health reform advocate appeals PhilHealth zero subsidy

A health reform, Dr. Tony Leachon, appealed to President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Monday, urging him to reconsider the zero subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in 2025.

In his open letter, Leachon noted that the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will forever be celebrated for the Sin Tax Law of 2012, which provided the critical lifeline that funded health programs for the poor, while President Rodrigo Duterte will be remembered for the landmark Universal Health Care Law in 2019, which promised every Filipino the right to accessible and quality healthcare.

“History will remember the legacy of every president, not by their rhetoric, but by the lives they changed and the impact they left behind,” Leachon continued, as he asked "what will history say about President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.?”

“If the 2025 General Appropriations Act is signed as is — with 90 billion in diverted PhilHealth funds, zero subsidy for healthcare, and inadequate prioritization of the UHC Law — his administration will be etched in the annals of history as the one that turned its back on the sick, the suffering, and the dying,” he stressed.

“Mr. President, imagine the faces of those you serve: A mother cradling her feverish child in the corridors of an overcrowded hospital, unable to afford even the most basic medication; a farmer in the provinces walking miles to a rural health center only to be told there are no funds for his dialysis sessions; an elderly man who contributed to PhilHealth all his life, now begging for help as mounting hospital bills eat away at his family’s savings.”

Leachon emphasized that “these are not just statistics,” but “real people crying for help, dignity, and hope.”

“Yet, this proposed budget turns a deaf ear to their suffering. While they endure sleepless nights, skipping meals to make ends meet, the government is poised to deprioritize healthcare in favor of unprogrammed appropriations and the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP)."

The health reform advocate lamented that when Marcos Jr.’s administration diverted P90 billion from PhilHealth to unprogrammed appropriations, he signaled that “healthcare is not a priority,” placing “millions of Filipino at risk, especially the poorest and most vulnerable.”

“This is not about politics anymore, Mr. President. This is about lives, Filipino lives. This is about mothers, fathers, children, and grandparents who will not survive another year of neglected healthcare,” he continued.

“This is about patients sharing beds in government hospitals because there is no funding for better facilities. This is about the thousands who die preventable deaths every year because there is no medicine, no doctor, no system to catch them when they fall.”

Leachon asked Marcos Jr. to veto the 2025 General Appropriations Act and “prioritize the health and dignity of the Filipino people.”

“Show them that you are a leader who values life over luxury. Show them that you are a president who listens to the cries of the suffering. Show them that you will honor the trust of every Filipino who pays into the system, believing it will be there when they need it most.”

Leachon’s statement came following Committee on Finance Chair Senator Grace Poe’s confirmation that PhilHealth will receive no government subsidy for 2025, citing its reserve funds amounting to P600 billion.