Pangasinan hospitals collect record revenue

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LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Provincial government-run hospitals in Pangasinan achieved a historic milestone in 2024 by collectively generating the highest revenue collections in the province's history.

According to the year-end report from the Provincial Treasurer's Office, hospital fees collected reached P546.14 million, surpassing the target of P400 million by an impressive P146.14 million.

Other significant contributors to the province's revenue included taxes on sand, gravel, and quarry products, which generated P235.6 million, exceeding the target of P120 million by P115.6 million.

Real property taxes, previously the top revenue earner, came in third with P194.43 million, P59.4 million above its target of P135 million.

The provincial government operates one provincial hospital in San Carlos City, six district hospitals in Tayug, Bayambang, Mangatarem, Lingayen, Alaminos City, and Urdaneta City, along with seven community hospitals in Mapandan, Asingan, Pozorrubio, Bolinao, Umingan, Dasol, and Manaoag.

"These hospitals used to operate at a financial loss, heavily dependent on subsidies from the provincial general fund," said Gov. Ramon Guico III in a recent interview.

The governor credited the revenue turnaround to the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (Maifip) program, which he secured from the national government.

"You know how much Maifip funds we've brought to the province? Hundreds of millions. We secured assistance from the national government, senators, congressmen, and department secretaries. This funding supports all 14 of our hospitals," Guico said.

The record-high hospital revenue collections were also attributed to improved claims management with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), specifically lower rates of return-to-hospital (RTH) and denied claims in 2024.

RTH claims refer to deficient submissions returned to hospitals for compliance with specific requirements, while denied claims are deemed invalid or irredeemable due to unmet criteria.

In 2021, before Guico assumed office, the province's RTH claims totaled P109.8 million, and denied claims amounted to P73.95 million.

By 2024, RTH claims had dropped to P77.1 million, and denied claims had significantly decreased to P14.93 million.

"We're hitting our targets," Guico said.

"By improving our administrative processes for PhilHealth claims, our hospitals can secure even more funding. Previously, inefficiencies in claims filing caused significant losses, but now we're prioritizing better hospital services," he added.

The governor also emphasized the ongoing modernization of all 14 provincial hospitals, including the construction of new facilities and acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment that past administrations failed to provide.

"Our mission is to deliver the best health care to the more than 3.1 million Pangasinense," Guico said.