ILOILO CITY, (PNA) -– Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog here is eyeing to stop the city government subsidy to Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) Corporation premiums in 2014 but instead increase the financial assistance to PhilHealth patients for a minimum of P5,000 per hospitalization.
Mabilog said he is meeting with his city fiscal and finance managers to discuss the alternative scheme after PhilHealth announced it is increasing its premiums to P2,400 per indigent individual or about P120 million annual budget for 2014.
The city mayor said the city government is paying some P31 million a year to PhilHealth and the amount could help a lot as financial assistance for the indigent patients.
Mabilog said that indigent patients may seek help from the national government as PhilHealth card bearers. The national government is increasing its budget for PhilHealth in 2014 with the Department of Health getting the bulk of national budget share due to the realignment of funds from the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) of senators and congressmen.
The La Paz maternity clinic is being upgraded into a full-fledged Iloilo City Reproductive Health Hospital and indigent patients can seek medical attention there.