The Philippines Health System Review - WHO Western Pacific ...

The president of the Philippines appoints the members of the board ofdirectors, comprised by the secretary of health (ex officio chair), thepresident of the corporation (vice–chair), a representative from: laborand employment; interior and local government; and social welfare anddevelopment; a representative from the labor sector and on behalf ofemployers; the SSS administrator or a representative, the GSIS generalmanager or a representative, the vice chairperson for the basic sector ofthe National Anti-Poverty Commission or a representative, a representativeof the Filipino overseas workers, a representative of the self-employedsector, and a representative of health care providers to be endorsed bythe national associations of health care institutions and medical healthprofessionals (RA 9241, section 3).The board serves as the policy-making and quasi-judicial body of thecorporation. Among other areas, it sets and implements the policies,standards, rules and regulations of contributions and benefits (theportability of benefits, cost containment and quality assurance); and healthcare provider arrangements, payment methods, and referral systems(IRR of RA 9241). Under the law, congress retains oversight functions.Private health insurance and HMOs, which comprise 6.88% of total healthexpenditures, are regulated jointly by the Philippine Insurance Commissionand DOH (NHA, 2007).2.7.3 Regulation and governance of providersThe DOH Bureau of Health Facilities and Services (BHFS) with theregulatory teams in Centres for Health Development (CHDs) is in chargeof licensing hospitals, clinics, laboratories and other health facilities.It sets the regulatory policies and standards of licensing, accreditationand monitoring of health facilities and services to ensure quality healthcare. Yearly, the DOH requires all health facilities to renew their licenseto operate. However, there are challenges in the implementation ofadequate quality assurance measures. These include inadequate capacitybuilding for regulatory officers and fast turnover and lack of availability ofpermanent positions for regulatory officers in CHDs. In the private sector,international quality certification efforts are driven by the government’spolicy of promoting medical tourism.PhilHealth also exercises regulatory functions through accreditationand other quality control mechanisms. RA 7875 explicitly mandatesPhilHealth to “promote the improvement in the quality of health services24