HOSPITALS URGED TO APPLY FOR COVID-19 ASSISTANCE PACKAGE

AS PART of its P30 billion assistance package for health care institutions in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the state health insurer approved the release of an initial P1.6 billion to various health care institutions that have applied for funds under the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM).

But officials of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth)-Central Visayas disclosed that only 40 percent of the target number of hospitals in Central Visayas had processed their application for the IRM as of Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

Arlan Granali, PhilHealth-Central Visayas area vice president, said out of the 111 health facilities in the region, only 41 hospitals had applied for the IRM as of yesterday.

Of the 41, six are Department of Health (DOH)-run hospitals; 16 are hospitals owned by Cebu Province; 10 are hospitals owned by Bohol Province; and nine are private hospitals in the region, including the two Chong Hua Hospitals in Cebu and the Perpetual Succour Hospital in Cebu City.

“We really urged those hospitals nga nagkinahanglan nga mag process na. Some have already sent their letter of intent, but wala pa ang MOA. Sa Siquijor and sa Negros Oriental province wala pa. They need a resolution and basin ugma pa sila mag convene (We urged those hospitals to already process their application. Some have sent their letter of intent, but not the memorandum of agreement. Siquijor and Negros Province have yet to submit theirs. They need a resolution, and they will probably convene tomorrow),” he said.

“Unsa may dugayan nila nga maghatag man mi og advance payment? Ang uban region, nagabot na sila og 70 percent (What’s delaying them when we will be giving an advance payment? The other regions have already reached 70 percent),” said Walter Bacareza, PhilHealth Visayas area vice president, in a separate interview.

“Anyway, the regional office assured me that all MOA will be in by April 7,” he added.

Although there is no deadline for the application, Bacareza said they wanted the hospitals to apply as soon as they can so they could also process the IRM and release the funds as soon as possible.

The IRM is PhilHealth’s financial aid to its partner health institutions affected by natural and man-made calamities that have devastating effects on their ability to continuously provide health care to the people.