In line with the directive of Secretary of Justice Menardo I. Guevarra, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) today announced the creation of TASK FORCE-PHILHEALTH that will conduct an investigation of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth).
NBI Officer-In-Charge (OIC) Director Eric B. Distor said that he has issued a Memorandum Order creating TASK FORCE-PHILHEALTH that will conduct an investigation on the various allegations of corruption and anomalies in Philhealth. OIC Director Distor added the investigation of TASK FORCE – PHILHEALTH will include the audit of the Philhealth finances and the conduct of lifestyle checks on its officials and employees.
OIC Director Distor stressed “considering that the NBI is still conducting investigation on alleged Philhealth anomalies, the creation of a task force on this matter will certainly help intensify and hasten the investigation”. He added that TASK FORCE PHILHEALTH will be composed of Agents and Investigators from the Bureau’s Anti-Graft Division (AGD), Anti-Fraud Division (AFD), Special Action Unit (SAU), Computer Crimes Division (CCD), Special Operations Group (SOG) and Digital Forensic Laboratory (DFL). The Task Force shall be headed by NBI-NCR Regional Director Cesar Bacani and shall be under the supervision of Deputy Director for Regional Operations Service (DDROS) Antonio Pagatpat to be assisted by Deputy Director for Investigation Service (DDInvS) Vicente De Guzman III.
TASK FORCE-PHILHEALTH will also coordinate with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the progress of the investigation, Distor emphasized.
In 2019, the NBI conducted an investigation on Philhealth regarding the ghost dialysis fees involving WellMed Dialysis and Laboratory Center Corporation (WellMed) and Philhealth. The investigation revealed that WellMed charges Philhealth for dialysis claims of patient-members who are already dead. As a result of its investigation, the NBI recommended the prosecution of WellMed officials and Philhealth officials who conspired in using falsified documents to collect payments from Philhealth for alleged dialysis of patients-members who are already dead.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) found merits with the recommendation of the NBI and indicted WellMed. In addition, Philhealth officials who were involved in the scheme are under preliminary investigation by the DOJ.
