Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said the zero subsidies for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) under the approved bicameral conference committee proposed P6.352 trillion 2025 General Appropriations Bill are potentially unconstitutional.
In a statement, Hontiveros lamented the zero subsidies for the state-run health insurer, stressing that it is equivalent to denying Filipinos their right to health.
“Obligasyon ng gobyerno na bayaran ang premiums ng mga indirect contributors, kabilang ang mga mahihirap, senior citizens at PWDs. Kapag inabandona ito ng gobyerno, ang papasan dito ay ang mga ordinaryong mamamayan na buwan-buwan kinakaltasan ng PhilHealth,” she said.
(It is the government's obligation to pay the premiums of indirect contributors, including the poor, senior citizens, and PWDs. When the government abandons this responsibility, the burden falls on ordinary citizens who are being ripped off by PhilHealth every month.)
“That’s why this “zero subsidy” is unfair, illegal, and potentially unconstitutional. Paano na lang ang mga kababayang hindi makakapagbayad ng kanilang premium contribution? Malaking dagok ito sa mithiin nating magkaroon ng universal healthcare sa bansal,” she added.
(That's why this "zero subsidy" is unfair, illegal, and potentially unconstitutional. What about the people who can't pay their premium contributions? This is a major setback to our goal of achieving universal healthcare in the country.)
She continued: “The PhilHealth charter, the Sin Tax Law, and the UHC Act mandate that portions of certain taxes go to the state health insurer. Kahit pa may “excess o reserve funds” kuno ang PhilHealth, may mga batas na nagsasabing kailangan ito pondohan.”
(The PhilHealth charter, the Sin Tax Law, and the UHC Act mandate that portions of certain taxes go to the state health insurer. Even though PhilHealth supposedly has "excess or reserve funds," there are laws that require it to be funded.)
Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, earlier said that PhilHealth will receive no subsidy from the 2025 GAB.
According to Poe, PhilHealth was not given a government subsidy due to its low utilization of funds despite huge reserve funds.
PhilHealth was supposed to receive a P74 billion subsidy from the government under the original 2025 National Expenditure Program.