PhilHealth pays ₱10.79-B claims in Western Visayas, Negros Occ.

ILOILO CITY – The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) paid ₱10.79 billion in medical claims for roughly 800,000 patients in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental over the first six months of 2026.

Speaking at a media forum on Tuesday, PhilHealth Regional Vice President for Western Visayas Marjorie Cabrieto shared that the agency’s highest disbursements went to moderate-risk pneumonia (₱P883.79 million across 31,520 claims), stroke infarction (₱254.98 million across 3,389 claims), hypertensive emergency or urgency (₱170.40 million across 10,230 claims), and chronic kidney disease (₱129.86 million across 4,583 claims).

Dengue was not among the top 10 claims, but PhilHealth data showed that ₱61.6 million was paid for 3,232 dengue cases during the period.

PhilHealth claims processing

Cabrieto said the average turnaround time for processing claims was reduced to 5.29 days in June and further to two days in July, well below the 30 days mandated by law.

“Again, to our members, thank you so much for your support to PhilHealth through your premium contributions. These are transmitted to the amount that we pay for benefits of our members,” she said.

As of June 30, PhilHealth had registered 7,794,521 members and dependents, equivalent to 95.47 percent of the projected population in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental.

Cabrieto said PhilHealth continues to reach out to the remaining less than 5 percent of the population.

Meanwhile, she reminded employers about the one-time waiver of interest, which allows them to settle missed contributions from July 2013 to December 2024 with zero or minimal interest.

The waiver is available until December this year.

“This is also a reminder for members to always update their contributions because starting next year, PhilHealth will impose interest for missed contributions,” Cabrieto said.

She added that the interest rate will not exceed 1.5 percent, compounded monthly, for missed contributions. (PNA)

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