PhilHealth 12 files charges vs erring employers
HEALTH • 14:30 PM Thu Jul 18, 2019
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By:
Hanah G. Naanep/PhilHealth 12 information officer
KORONADAL CITY – The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth 12) has recently filed charges against three employers for not remitting of their employees’ contribution to the corporation.
This is the result of the corporation’s continuing campaign against fraud as it is about to implement the Universal Health Care Program (UHCP).
Atty. Jusen E. Lubaton, former PhilHealth 12 Legal Office Head, said that PhilHealth office has been trying to negotiate.
“We have been asking them to settle their obligation and we are already running short of patience. There will be more as reported by the (PhilHealth) collection section,” Lubaton said.
“We will be filing the corresponding cases based on their evaluation. There are 40 more employers who will be charged and certainly, these will wake them up…,” Lubaton added.
The three employers, each one in Koronadal, Gen. Santos City and in Sarangani province, were charged for failure to remit employer’s share to PhilHealth in the past 119 months.
PhilHealth did not identify the employers or the establishments while litigation is going on.
Aside from the civil liability consisting of the actual premiums not remitted, the employer is also liable for interests and surcharges and cost suit.
The criminal liability consists of fines amounting to P5,000 to P10,000 per affected employee. One month missed remittance is one count of the offense.
As an example, the complaint filed against employer in Gen. Santos could result to a sentence with a fine of P4.6 million and the owner or manager is liable with the employer.
The one filed in Gen. Santos has incurred more than P100,000 and the one in Koronadal is around P80,000 excluding penalty.
The computation was done upon filing of charges. Upon payment, concerned employer shall be computed of their corresponding penalty as a criminal violation of Section 44 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations.
“We have exhausted all means just to remind them to settle their financial obligation. That is why, we have already started filing cases. We will be running after them for that unremitted collection including interest. That is considered estafa,” Lorelie G. Bonilla, PhilHealth collection section head, said.
It is mandated by law that employers are authorized to collect monthly premium form their employees. It is their duty to remit the same to PhilHealth. In this case, employers failed to remit the collected amount.
“We started with those who have the highest figure of unpaid remittances and those who are difficult to deal with. In fact, there are more of them who have pending cases and more are coming,” Bonilla added. (Hanah G. Naanep)