Bacolod: The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has paid PHP10.79 billion in claims covering nearly 800,000 patients in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental during the first semester of 2026. At a media forum on Tuesday, PhilHealth Regional Vice President for Western Visayas Marjorie Cabrieto disclosed that the top claims included moderate-risk pneumonia, with PHP883.79 million paid for 31,520 claims; stroke infarction, PHP254.98 million for 3,389 claims; hypertensive emergency/urgency, PHP170.40 million for 10,230 claims; and chronic kidney disease, PHP129.86 million for 4,583 claims.

According to Philippines News Agency, dengue was not among the top 10 claims, but PhilHealth data showed that PHP61.6 million was paid for 3,232 dengue cases during the period. Cabrieto noted that the average turnaround time for processing claims was reduced to 5.29 days in June and further to two days in July, well below the 30 days mandated by law.

Cabrieto expressed gratitude to PhilHealth members for their support through premium contributions, which are vital for funding the benefits provided. As of June 30, PhilHealth had registered 7,794,521 members and dependents, equivalent to 95.47 percent of the projected population in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental. Efforts continue to reach the remaining less than 5 percent of the population.

Meanwhile, she reminded employers about a one-time waiver of interest, allowing them to settle missed contributions from July 2013 to December 2024 with zero or minimal interest. The waiver is available until December this year, and starting next year, PhilHealth will impose an interest rate that will not exceed 1.5 percent, compounded monthly, for missed contributions.