Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) said it would proceed with its contribution hike in June, which will raise the collection rate to 4 percent from the current 3 percent of a member's monthly salary.

The Universal Healthcare Act mandates a 0.5 percent increase in PhilHealth contributions every year until it reaches the 5 percent limit in 2025.

But the COVID-19 pandemic prompted authorities to defer the rate hike last year, following public uproar over some P15 billion in PhilHealth funds that reportedly went missing, which it denied.

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The state medical insurer also faced issues on its delayed payment of hospital reimbursement claims and its debt to the Philippine Red Cross for COVID-19 tests.

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