Palace orders probe into PhilHealth benefit denial claim

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday ordered a thorough investigation into claims that a member of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), who later died, was denied benefits due to the state insurer’s 24-hour confinement rule.

The issue stemmed from a viral social media post by Maria Lourdes Sulit, whose husband needed an operation estimated to cost between P2 million and P4 million to remove a brain hematoma.

READ: P60-B ‘excess funds’ returned to PhilHealth

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According to Sulit, her husband died before he could be formally admitted to the hospital and was transferred to the morgue a few hours later. She said PhilHealth personnel informed her that her husband was ineligible for claims because he had only been confined for less than 24 hours.

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“In situations like this, a proper investigation should really be conducted. We are also reminding everyone at PhilHealth—whether you are PhilHealth staff assigned to hospitals or anyone processing the benefits of our fellow citizens—to please be aware of all available coverages so that you can provide the correct information to our fellow Filipinos,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in Filipino during a briefing in Kazan, Russia.

“We will look into it. We do not yet know who is at fault in this matter, so a thorough investigation is being ordered,” she added.

In a statement issued on June 14, after the post went viral, PhilHealth said it was already coordinating with the hospital to better understand the circumstances surrounding the member’s case.

“PhilHealth immediately mobilized, upon learning of the incident, to understand and address the situation,” it also said.

The state insurer also expressed its sympathies to the family of the deceased member. /jpv

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