(Eagle News) — PhilHealth chief Ricardo Morales on Tuesday, Aug. 4, defended the state insurer’s proposed P2.1-billion information technology project aimed at stopping fraud.
In defending the proposed program which a report had tagged as “overpriced,” Morales said in a Senate inquiry on alleged corruption in PhilHealth that the amount was measly compared to the money PhilHealth stands to lose if fraud is not curbed.
“If the corporation stands to lose tens of billions a year through fraud which can be avoided by information technology, then the allegedly overpriced P2.1-billion IT program over 3 years appears paltry indeed,” he said.
He added PhilHealth’s existing IT system was “fragmented, aging,” and needed to be replaced by a “robust integrated and harmonized” information management system.
Media reports said a report from the Commission on Audit had tagged the proposed IT project as overpriced, but PhilHealth said the report never contained the word “overpriced.”
PhilHealth added the report was not from COA, and was merely an internal audit report aimed at “identify(ing) discrepancies in procedures being audited so corrections can be done.”
“Our IT sector headed by Senior Vice President Jovita Aragona is using the report for proper guidance in reforming the IT planning and procurement process. The items as reported in the news are not yet in the stages of procurement but rather are still in the review stages,” Morales had said, noting that “the report (was) intended for internal consumption and will surely result (in) misinformation if disseminated to unintended users.”
