New PhilHealth chief Ho unveils five-point reform agenda
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Newly installed Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) President and CEO Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho has laid out a five-point reform agenda aimed at bringing health services closer to Filipinos, expanding no-balance billing and improving the agency’s internal processes.
Ho said she was grateful and excited to return to public service, particularly as she would be working alongside former mentors and collaborators.
“I had a very quiet time before this, but I’m also grateful to be considered, and I think, more importantly, excited because there was an opportunity to serve the public again,” Ho said.
At the center of her agenda is strengthening primary care by bringing PhilHealth’s YAKAP program directly to communities instead of waiting for patients to seek services.
Ho said services could be brought closer to schools and workplaces, while existing public health programs could eventually be integrated into YAKAP to simplify access for patients.
Her third priority is expanding access to No Balance Billing (NBB), which aims to protect qualified patients from additional hospital charges.
“Hindi kabahan yung mga tao when they go to hospital,” Ho said.
She said PhilHealth would explore ways to increase the number of beds covered by NBB and provide patients with more options.
Ho also wants to streamline frontline processes, including accreditation requirements involving PhilHealth and the Department of Health.
She raised the possibility of establishing a single platform where health care providers could process licensing and accreditation requirements instead of navigating separate systems.
The fifth priority focuses on PhilHealth’s organization and workforce as the agency undergoes its mandated reorganization.
Ho said employees should not have to worry about their jobs while being asked to focus on implementing reforms.
“We have to make sure that our reorganization, which is mandated, will also run smoothly,” she said.
Ho also called for health workers to be empowered, fairly compensated and properly supported.
PhilHealth, she said, would study mechanisms that could expand the responsibilities of different health professionals, including allowing nurses or general practitioners to perform certain tasks previously assigned to doctors or specialists where appropriate.
“These are things that need to be studied, but we are keen to do them because we know health workers in the country are committed,” Ho said.
