Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 7) — The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth on Thursday said ₱13 billion of funds under the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism or IRM had already been liquidated by recipient health care institutions.
The state health insurer added that this represents 87% of the ₱14.97 billion released under the IRM as of December 21. PhilHealth said a total of 353 of 711 health care facilities have declared full liquidation.
It added that 273 institutions have liquidated at least 50%, while the rest are still below this.
PhilHealth said the liquidation proves it did not lose ₱15 billion to corruption.
Of the amount liquidated, the highest recorded was in the National Capital Region with ₱3.59 billion. Central Luzon followed with ₱1.77 billion, and CALABARZON with ₱1.026 billion.
In August last year, former PhilHealth anti-fraud legal officer Thorrsson Montes Keith claimed agency officials stole ₱15 billion using different fraudulent schemes, which covers the unauthorized release of IRM funds.
The National Bureau of Investigation has filed a complaint with the Ombudsman against PhilHealth officials, including former president and chief executive officer Ricardo Morales, who stepped down amid the controversy.
