President Rodrigo Duterte orders the investigation into the supposed overpricing in the cost of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (Philhealth) coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) testing package, Malacañang announced.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque revealed that the president was “alarmed” over the allegedly overpricing of these test kits being which are being paid by PhilHealth to hospitals and testing centers.
“Bibigyan ko po ng kumpirmasyon na nababahala ang Presidente lalung-lalo doon sa pagkakaiba ng presyo ng testing kit. So nais po niya ng kasagutan and an investigation,” he said.
[I’m confirming that the President is alarmed over the difference in prices of testing kits. So he wants an explanation and an investigation.]
It was first brought up by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, stating that the country might lose over PHP8.3 billion due to alleged overpricing in PhilHealth’s testing package.
The senator questioned PhilHealth’s payment of PHP8,150 per Covid-19 test, raising that it is actually double the price of PHP4,000 per test being done by the Philippine Red Cross.
Roque said Duterte was confused as to how the two kits can differ in price by that margin.
“Hindi po nga niya maintindihan gaya ng buong sambayanan kung bakit ganoon kalaki ang discrepancy,” he said.
[He, like the public, could not understand why the discrepancy has to be that huge.]
PhilHealth president Ricardo Morales released a statement explaining that the PHP8,150 per test was “based on data collected before April 1, 2020, when there was very limited testing capacity.”
“To date, no single Covid-19 test has been paid by PhilHealth, except those being performed by the Philippine Red Cross,” his statement read.
Morales said PhilHealth will soon release a new package rate for Covid-19 patients by next week.
“And as more Covid-19 related medicines and medical supplies become more available, the price of testing is going to decline,” said Morales.
