Philhealth in Eastern Visayas paid P5.6B in claims in 2024

TACLOBAN CITY — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) in Eastern Visayas has disbursed a record P5.6 billion in claims in 2024, reflecting a 51-percent increase from P3.7 billion in 2023.

According to Asisclo Militante Jr., head of PhilHealth’s field operations division, the rise is attributed to the agency’s expanded coverage, particularly benefiting low-income families, and improved awareness of healthcare benefits among members.

“We had more claims last year as we expanded our coverage, especially for poor families. We are focused on maintaining critical services to ensure that those who need them most continue to receive proper medical care despite funding challenges,” Militante said in a media interview on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

PhilHealth also accelerated its claims processing, reducing the turnaround time from 26 to 19 days, significantly faster than the 60-day legal limit and the 30-day ideal processing period.

Militante emphasized that there had been no delayed payments to hospitals and healthcare providers in the region.

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At present, there are more than 200 accredited PhilHealth healthcare facilities in Eastern Visayas, including hospitals, rural health centers, and birthing clinics.

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Rosario Suyom, the agency’s healthcare delivery management chief, reported that moderate-risk pneumonia topped the total benefits paid, amounting to P741 million. Hemodialysis remained the most frequently claimed procedure with payments reaching P710 million.

At present, 4.9 million individuals—including PhilHealth members and their dependents—are covered under the agency in Eastern Visayas.

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