No Dagupan indigent had 2020-2021 PhilHealth coverage
DESPITE YEARLY P6-M BUDGET FOR 2 YEARS
NOT a single indigent from Dagupan was enrolled with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for years 2020 and 2021 since Mayor Brian Lim took over the reins of the city government.
This was confirmed during the review of the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) for the proposed 2022 annual budget of the Dagupan City by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) during its regular session via zoom on February 15 and its special session, also via zoom, on February 17.
Majority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez said budgets were provided for in years 2020 and 2021, yet no indigent from Dagupan was covered by health insurance during those years.
The City Social Welfare and Development Office headed by Leila Natividad was supposed to submit a list of indigents for enrollment with PhilHealth and to bankroll the premiums for such health insurance.
Maricar Arzadon, an official of PhilHealth regional office, told the SP on February 15 that there was no record in their central Pangasinan office in Mayombo, Dagupan City that showed that premiums for indigents of the city from 2020 to 2021 were paid.
On February 15, City Budget Officer Jessa Royupa told the SP that the reason why no indigent was enrolled in 2020 was because CSWDO personnel could not go around to list and assess the status of the would-be indigent beneficiaries because of the pandemic.
However, CSWDO’s Natividad said records showed that they had started negotiating with PhilHealth since March 2020 and actually submitted a letter of intent to PhilHealth but the confirmation only arrived in October that year, that in effect would give health insurance to indigents for only two months.
But indigents from the city were not enrolled as well in 2021.
Natividad said the indigents in the city received services from the CSWDO and their sick were referred to the Malasakit Center for 2021.
Natividad admitted that indigents from the city were enrolled in 2018 and 2019.
Councilor Fernandez questioned city hall’s proposal for another P6 million allocation in 2022 annual budget for the health insurance of indigents when its P6 million allocations in the 2020 and 2021 budgets were not used. (Leonardo Micua)
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