NHA, PhilHealth got biggest state subsidies in July

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) received in July an additional P4.1 billion in subsidies from the national government, even as the state-run firm was facing investigation for alleged corruption in the organization amid the pandemic.

In total, P17.9 billion in subsidies were granted to government-owned and/or -controlled corporations (GOCCs) in July, of which the biggest amount went to the National Housing Authority (NHA) at P9.9 billion.

PhilHealth, which implements the national health insurance program, got the second largest subsidy during the month, followed by the National Irrigation Administration’s P1.9 billion.

From January to July, GOCCs received a total of P187.5 billion in subsidies, of which the biggest share went to the Social Security System with P51 billion, which the state-run pension fund disbursed to the small business wage subsidy program of the Department of Finance.

PhilHealth’s end-July subsidy amounted to P30.3 billion, the third largest behind the National Food Authority’s P37.7 billion during the first seven months.

PhilHealth will get P71.3 billion in subsidies this year, Budget Secretary Wendel E. Avisado had said.

Under the proposed P4.5-trillion 2021 national budget, the allocation for the national health insurance program amounts to P71.4 billion, in line with the government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, PhilHealth cornered P72.7 billion or 36 percent—the largest share among GOCCs—of the total 2019 subsidies amounting to P201.5 billion, a record high.

Since 2014, PhilHealth has been getting the biggest yearly subsidy among state-run corporations.

As allowed under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, the Department of Budget and Management slashed the programmed budgetary support to government corporations by P10.7 billion to P185.3 billion from the P195.9 billion originally set aside under the P4.1-trillion 2020 budget.

These budget cuts were realigned into programs, projects and activities addressing the health and socioeconomic crises inflicted by COVID-19. INQ