Understanding the Delays in Healthcare Payments: Rep. Nazal Takes Action

Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal is urging the House of Representatives to investigate the ongoing delays in the government's payments to public and private hospitals for indigent patients. Nazal filed House Resolution (HR) No.34 in the current 20th Congress to address this issue.

The resolution calls for the Committees on Health, Good Government and Public Accountability, and Appropriations to conduct a joint inquiry to assess the impact of payment backlogs by the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), and other relevant agencies.

Nazal highlighted the announcement by the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) that member-hospitals are facing over P530 million in unpaid claims, with one hospital in Batangas owed P94 million. He emphasized that these delays endanger lives and disrupt healthcare services.

He emphasized the importance of timely payments to hospitals and healthcare workers to ensure the effectiveness of the healthcare system. Nazal called for accountability and transparency in addressing the crisis, urging a thorough investigation into the causes of delays and proposing measures to prevent abuses in billing practices.

According to the source: Manila Bulletin.