Full liquidation of 114.97-B IRM fund proceeding swiftly

Full liquidation of the 114.97-billion Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) funding released by the State-owned Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to various hospitals and health care institutions (HCIs) is proceeding swiftly as the new management carried out moves to quickly resolve the issue, a PhilHealth report reaching the House Committee on

Public Accounts revealed.

In an update released Monday, PhilHealth disclosed that 79 HCI’s have declared 100 percent liquidation as of Oct. 7.

“282 facilities have already liquidated at least 50 percent of their IRM funds, while others are in various stages of processing,” PhilHealth disclosed.

Among the HCIs that received huge IRM funding and have now submitted full liquidation of disbursements are Region 1 Medical Center, 1122.1 million; Cagayan Valley Medical Center, 1120.17 million; Zamboanga City Medical Center, 1116.44 million; Davao Doctors Hospital, 163.63 million; Batangas Medical Center, 150.9 million; Premiere Medical Center, 148.040 million; Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital, 190.71 million; Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital, 144.67 million, and Zamboanga del Sur Medical Center, 143 million.

Acting PhilHealth spokesman Rey Balena said the release of the report is in observation of the policy of transparency that the State health insurer has adopted.

Balena said the 100 percent liquidation of the IRM funds is one assurance that fraud has not been committed in the disbursement of

PhilHealth funds.

During a recent joint hearing of the House Committee on Public Trust and on Good Government, new PhilHealth president and CEO Dante Gierran assured congressmen that disbursement made through IRM will be closely monitored to guarantee immediate liquidation by recipient hospitals and HCIs.

Guerran vowed to go after incumbent or former PhilHealth officials and personnel who may have tinkered with the IRM system to make money.

However, in the hearing,

Undersecretary Adrian Sugay of the Department of Justice said the IRM system is one of the most corrupt-laden programs of PhilHealth.

Sugay said there was intentional non-compliance with the parameters set for the implementation of the IRM.

Among the issues flagged by the DOJ were the release of IRM funds for the COVID response of hospitals. Among the IRM recipients were specialty clinics, such as dialysis centers, that do not have the capacity to treat COVID-19 patients.