MANILA — State medical insurer PhilHealth said on Wednesday it was "on top of the situation" as some hospitals threatened to sever ties with it over delays in the payment of claims.

PhilHealth will implement a third wave of its debit-credit payment method (DCPM), through which it would pay in advance part of claims while they are still being processed, said the insurer's vice president Shirley Domingo.

"As long as they are managing COVID claims po, they are included in the qualified hospitals to avail of the DCPM. And dati po 60 percent binibigay natin, ngayon ay 80 percent of the amount computed na po ang ibibigay natin para ma-expedite lang ang funds na ito sa mga ospital po," she said in a Palace press briefing.

(And we used to give 60 percent of the claims, now we will give 80 percent of the amount computed just to expedite the release of these funds to hospitals.)

Domingo added that delayed claims only concern COVID-19 cases.

"PhilHealth is on top of the situation by implementing strategies to fast-track funds to our hospitals," she said.

The insurer, she added, is "continuously reaching out" to hospitals to "avert any situation that will not be good to our members."

She said PhilHealth has yet to receive any official notice from hospitals that will reportedly disengage from PhilHealth next year.

The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc in October said some of its members might not renew their accreditation with PhilHealth because most claims for the treatment of COVID-19 patients last year remain unpaid.

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Video courtesy of PTV