By el Amigo
MANILA, Philippines — Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho is taking the helm of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), bringing to the state health insurer a background built largely around public health, disease prevention and universal health care.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Ho as the new PhilHealth president and CEO on Monday, replacing Edwin Mercado, who was reassigned to the Department of Health (DOH) as secretary.
For Ho, the appointment marks a return to a government health institution where she previously held several key positions.
She served as DOH assistant secretary and undersecretary for the agency’s Public Health Services Team. She also headed the Health Promotion Bureau and Disease Prevention and Control Bureau.
Ho likewise worked as special assistant to the health secretary for the Universal Health Care package, giving her experience in one of the country’s most ambitious efforts to expand access to health services.
Before moving to PhilHealth, Ho served as chief health officer of Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc., adding private-sector experience to her public health background.
Her academic credentials are also rooted in medicine and public health. She graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in biology before earning a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Doctor of Medicine degree from UP Manila.
Ho has also received recognition for her work in the health sector, including the Leadership Award in Public Health Practice. She was among the recipients of the Ten Outstanding Young Men and Ten Outstanding Young Women for Nation Service awards in 2022.
Her appointment comes at a time when PhilHealth faces continuing expectations to improve health insurance coverage and make benefits more responsive to the needs of Filipinos.
With her combination of government, public health, medical and private-sector experience, Ho is expected to bring a health-policy perspective to the leadership of the country’s state health insurer.
Her immediate challenge will be translating that experience into programs that can strengthen PhilHealth’s delivery of health benefits to millions of members.
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