Senator Richard Gordon said Wednesday that PhilHealth should settle its outstanding balance of over P561 million to the Philippine Red Cross within three days.
Gordon elaborated in an interview on ANC on what he meant for PhilHealth to “pay right away.”
“The debt is due and demandable. The agreement says upon the Red Cross’s demand when we submit the receipts and all the things that go with that, such as the records and results. They should pay in three days,” Gordon said.
“Yes, they should do that,” the senator said when asked to confirm if he really wants PhilHealth to pay three days. “We’re not even charging interest ha.”
The Philippine Red Cross chair said PhilHealth’s debt would pile up again if the state health insurer would not settle the remaining debt as soon as possible.
PRC finally resumed its COVID-19 testing for the government after Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) paid half of its P903-million debt to the humanitarian organization.
PhilHealth paid P500 million to Red Cross on early Tuesday for the COVID-19 tests done on OFWs and returning Filipinos, among others.
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Gordon to PhilHealth: Pay P561-M debt in 3 days
On October 15, Red Cross stopped processing COVID-19 tests of those listed in the Department of Health’s expanded testing guidelines (DOH) per its memorandum no. 2020-0258-A.
Gordon revealed Tuesday that the state-insurer is convincing the organization to lower its COVID-19 testing price and use the state insurer’s alleged overpriced test kits.
“Ipinipilit nila sa amin na tanggapin ‘yung mga binili nila na talagang ang dami-dami baka mag-expire. Sasabihin ko na, overpriced. Ipinipilit nila sa amin. I don’t want to be involved with anything that is overpriced baka pati kami maisama pa,” Gordon said in an interview on CNN, Philippines.
The senator said that PhilHealth was nagging the Red Cross regarding this offer about two to three months ago.
Gordon, who is also the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair, said he would leave it to other government authorities to investigate the issue.