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BY MAE SINGUAY
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Saturday, February 24, 2018
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BACOLOD City – The Office of the President directed the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to take “appropriate” actions regarding a complaint against three doctors of the Cataract Foundation.
Atty. Margarita Yu, assistant secretary of the Presidential Management Staff, wrote to PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Dr. Celestina Ma. Jude dela Cerna in response to Task Force Kasanag national commander John Chiong’s complaint.
“We respectfully refer, for whatever action you may deem appropriate subject to existing laws, rules and regulations, the complaint filed against three eye doctors of the Cataract Foundation,” part of de la Cerna’s letter stated.
Chiong has sent the same complaint to the Department of Health (DOH) on July 12, 2017.
The DOH replied through PhilHealth on Sept. 22, 2017. An investigation then followed.
However, Chiong said he did not receive any update on the investigation, prompting him to forward the complaint to the Office of the President as a “follow-up.”
The three doctors allegedly demanded as payment 20 percent of their patients’ PhilHealth subsidy, said Chiong, citing complaints from the patients themselves.
“The patients are reportedly taken to private hospitals in groups, although one particular private hospital is most preferred and where cataract patients are operated by three doctors of the same surname,” Chiong added.
Aside from this, the ophthalmologists would also ask “additional fees” from their patients after the operation, Chiong further said.
Chiong stressed that these “unethical” practices mock the Cataract Foundation.
Cataract Foundation could not be reached for comment as of press time./PN
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