An economist said that the budget for the ratified Universal Health Care (UHC) is insufficient, and that the government should consider re-aligning its funding sources.
Action for Economic Reforms (AER) senior economist Jo-Ann L. Diosana contradicted the claims of Senate president Vicente “Tito” Sotto III that the current available money for the UHC is sufficient.
According to Diosana, the government mistakenly included in the computation the 2019 proposed national subsidy for PhilHealth Premiums.
“Of course, the budget for PhilHealth Premiums is only intended for members of PhilHealth who are actually paying for it,” she said.
One of the provisions of the bill, principally authored by Senator JV Ejercito, seeks to cover all Filipinos with health insurance.
The UHC needs a total funding of more than P257 billion in its first year of implementation.
Currently, the available funds amounting to P189 billion includes P105 billion from the 2019 proposed Department of Health (DOH) budget, P67 billion from the 2019 proposed national subsidy for PhilHealth Premiums, P3 billion coming from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and P14 billion from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
The P68-billion financial gap will be sustained from the new excise taxes on alcohol and products or the so called sin taxes.
Diosana said that with the alcohol and tobacco tax increase, which was separately filed as bill, and currently under deliberation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the implementation with the UHC bill might be hampered.
“Since the election is fast approaching, there’s a possibility that these tax reforms will not be passed as soon as possible,” she said.
“We are already super delayed, because the UHC bill will be enacted sooner, and yet we don’t have sufficient fund for it. How can we implement it properly if we don’t have a source of fund for it?” Diosana said.
