Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations asked on Tuesday, Aug. 6 the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to cover for the professional fees (PF) of doctors treating indigent patients. 

Ako-Biicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co raised this proposal during the budget briefing of PCSO, where he cited challenges in the implementation of the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients Program (MAIPP). 

The program is administered by the Department of Health (DOH). 

“We put funds in every hospital but ang problema pagdating sa mga hospital, ang mga doctor ayaw nila ipa-cover (sa MAIPP), gusto nila cash ayaw nila maghintay ng 30 days (We put funds in every hospital, but the problem is in the hospitals, doctors don't want their professional fees covered by MAIPP, they want cash and could not wait for 30 days),” he said.  

Co said that while guarantee letters from DOH cover the medical bills of poor patients under the MAIPP program, doctors often request their professional fees to be paid in cash, and separate from the hospital bills. 

This often poses a problem for indigent patients in settling their total medical expenses.   

“Kami na bahala sa medical bill. Pwede ba sa PCSO, sila naman ang (sumagot) ng PF ng mga doctor? (We’ll take care of the medical bill. Can the PCSO take care of the PF of the doctors?)” he asked. The PCSO also provides financial assistance to the needy for their medical and hospitalization expenses. 

Co stressed the need for prompt action on the matter, especially since the ultimate goal of the MAIPP program is to deliver immediate and comprehensive medical care to those who need it most.  

“Kung pwede tulong-tulong, tutal sinabi naman kanina ni GM at AGM na for charity sila (Hope we can help each other, anyway GM and AGM earlier said that they are for charity,” Co said, referring to PCSO General Manager Mel Robles and Assistant g
General Manager Lauro Patiag. 

The Bicol lawmaker also proposed the use of a corporate credit card to expedite the payment process, in case the PCSO cannot give cash or check. 

Co said this step would foster a more collaborative and trusting relationship between medical professionals and the government, ensuring that patients are not denied care due to administrative inefficiencies. 

PCSO officials welcomed Co’s proposal, and acknowledged the need to enhance the effectiveness of the government’s medical aid for impoverished patients. 

Addressing the issue on delayed payments is crucial for the success of MAIPP, the agency said. They vowed to would craft strategies to make the process more efficient. 

Meanwhile, Co is also seeking a law that would require doctors to accept payments through the MAIPP program.  

“Kung may batas tayo na bawal tanggihan ng mga ospital ang mga pasyente kahit walang pambayad, we must also do the same with the doctors na hindi nila pwede tanggihan ang payment galing sa MAIPP (If we have a law stating that hospitals cannot deny patients even if they don’t have money to pay for the bill, we should also have a law providing that doctors should not refuse payments from the MAIPP),” he said.