Photo credit: Bong Go

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go isn’t slowing down when it comes to healthcare reforms. Despite the election season, he made it clear during a Senate hearing on February 12 that his priority remains the well-being of Filipinos—especially those who rely on PhilHealth for their medical needs.

Keeping PhilHealth in Check

Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, led discussions on how PhilHealth can improve its services, manage its finances better, and ensure that indigent patients get the support they need.

“Patuloy nating babantayan ang PhilHealth upang masiguro na matutupad po ang kanilang mga pangako sa ating mga kababayan,” he stressed, saying that no patient should be left without proper coverage.

With the recent appointment of Dr. Edwin Mercado as PhilHealth’s new president and CEO, Go expressed optimism that having a doctor at the helm will lead to positive changes.

“I am looking forward to working closely with Dr. Mercado. Finally, we now have a doctor leading PhilHealth,” he said. “Unahin n’yo lang po ang kapakanan ng mga kababayan nating mahihirap—‘yung mga pasyenteng umaasa sa PhilHealth.”

Budget Woes and Unused Funds

But there’s a big challenge ahead—PhilHealth’s budget for this year has been set to zero, with its surplus funds absorbed by the National Treasury. Go is not happy about this.

“Malaking hamon po ito. Unang-una riyan ang zero budget ng ahensya at ang paggamit nang wasto ng sobra-sobra nitong pondo,” he said.

He questioned why PhilHealth’s funds were redirected while many patients continue to struggle with medical expenses.

“Habang naghihingalo ‘yung mga pasyente na walang pambayad, nagamit po ‘yung pondo ng PhilHealth sa ibang proyekto ng gobyerno. ‘Wag naman po sana. Against po ako dito, dahil para sa akin, PhilHealth funds ‘yan, para sa health ‘yan.”

Expanding Benefits and Cutting Out-of-Pocket Costs

One of the biggest concerns raised in the hearing was PhilHealth’s limited coverage. Go pointed out a case where a provincial health officer from Camarines Norte had a PhP10 million hospital bill but only received PhP57,000 from PhilHealth.

“Even if they increase the case rate coverage by 50%, that’s still just PhP85,500—less than 1% of the total bill. Napakaliit pa rin po.”

He argued that if PhilHealth covered more, it would lessen the burden on government assistance programs like the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Sana ma-attain natin ‘yung zero balance billing para makauwi na lang ang pasyente nang walang inaalala,” he added.

Better Awareness, Better Access

Aside from increasing benefits, Go also pushed for better awareness of PhilHealth’s services. He suggested an identification card system so members can confidently claim their benefits.

“I suggest na baka meron kayong identification card, ‘yung mura lang. Kasi ‘pag may card tayo, may peace of mind tayo,” he explained.

To formalize this, Go recently filed Senate Bill No. 2983, which proposes issuing a Philippine Health Card to all Filipinos for seamless healthcare access.

With these reforms, Go hopes to create a PhilHealth that truly serves the people—one that is financially sound, accessible to all, and trusted by the public.