The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental unanimously approved a resolution yesterday that will request PhilHealth for a moratorium on the increase of its premium contributions, starting this year.

Board Member Melvin Ibañez, chairman of the SP committee on Health, yesterday said the implementation of an increase in payment of PhilHealth premiums is “untimely” and will result in non-renewal by thousands of local government units- enrolled indigents.

Local government chief executives in Negros Occidental are up in arms against the 100 percent increase in the amount of PhilHealth premiums, saying they can no longer afford to pay it, as they have to cope up with the reduction in their Internal Revenue Allotment and the effects of recent floods.

The state-owned PhilHealth will increase its premiums from P600 to P1,200 this year, and to P2,400 in 2013.

Ibanez, who authored the resolution, said the increase is prohibitive to LGUs and will hinder the achievement of universal coverage of the entire population, with at least a basic minimum package of health insurance benefits.

He added that the approved PhilHealth circular was promulgated without consultation among local government units in Negros Occidental.

Ibañez also said the occurrence of calamities took a heavy toll on the finances of LGUs.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. had earlier said the 31 mayors of Negros Occidental had agreed to withdraw payment of premiums for their 148,081 indigent enrollees with PhilHealth, and instead pay the amount directly to the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Care Program that will be their health insurance provider.

If the request for moratorium is not granted, the provincial government will suspend its contributions to PhilHealth, which stands to lose some P45 million.

Instead of contributing about P60 to 70 million to PhilHealth this year, Board Member Salvador Escalante, chairperson of the SP committee on Finance, said the amount will be instead  given to Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Care Program to cover the health insurance of its members.

That will raise the total amount the provincial government will put into NOCHP to P100 million, Escalante added.

The records of NOCHP, a universal health care program of Marañon for indigent families, showed that 74,655 families in Negros Occidental are enrolled in the program, with beneficiaries estimated at 373,275, as of last month.

PhilHealth, being a government corporation, should not make profit from its services, Ibañez said.

He said PhilHealth president Eduardo Banzon is slated to meet with Marañon, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and mayors of Negros Occidental on Jan. 6 in Talisay City.

PhilHealth said it paid  P135,252,251 as benefit claims of Negros Occidental-sponsored program members and dependents, covering the period from January to October this year.*GPB

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