Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson has filed a bill seeking to free the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) Program of the Department of Health from politics, by placing it under the framework of the Universal Health Care Act – and penalizing political exploitation and manipulation of the program.
In Senate Bill 404 titled the “Universal Medical Assistance Act of 2025,” Lacson said this consolidation will eliminate “overlaps and redundancies” with other medical assistance programs implemented across various government agencies.
“By consolidating MAIFIP within the framework of the UHC, we can effectively address the issue of payment delays for medical services rendered by DOH-licensed and/or accredited health facilities because of political interference. The proposed legislation also aims to eliminate the politicization of the program, thus curbing the culture of mendicancy and political patronage,” he said.
“A coherent and unified health system under Universal Healthcare must be established to effectively address the needs of indigent and marginalized families. Individuals, regardless of economic status, who suffer from catastrophic illnesses and similar medical conditions and its corresponding substantial financial burdens, should meaningfully benefit from the government’s comprehensive safety net and enjoy affordable and accessible health services — free from political interventions that shamelessly exploit government programs to curry public favor,” he added.
In Filipino: Panukala ni Ping Lacson, Aalisin ang Pamumulitika sa MAIFIP
Skip to PDF content
Lacson cited recent reports where private hospitals refused to honor guarantee letters issued by government officials to indigent patients under the MAIFIP program, due to unresolved outstanding payables accruing over several months.
He said that while guarantee letters issued by governors, senators, congressmen, and other government officials, serve to facilitate the payment of hospital bills for indigent patients, some private healthcare facilities expressed concerns that their services might not be compensated under MAIFIP due to guarantee letters endorsed by political candidates who subsequently lost in the recent midterm elections.
“These issues grossly undermine the delivery of public services and cast the medical program in a negative light,” he noted.
Also, Lacson said the Social Protection Plan 2023-2028 made mention of the need to assess the existing medical assistance programs for possible duplication.
In his bill, Lacson pointed out that with the passage of UHC, every Filipino citizen is automatically enrolled in the National Health Insurance Program, and this enhances access to individual healthcare through secured financing of PhilHealth and enables the DOH to implement more effective population-based public health programs.
“Hence, this bill seeks to consolidate and harmonize MAIFIP with the Universal Healthcare Act under the unified program to be known as the Universal Medical Assistance Program (UMAP). UMAP shall be accessible to all patients, regardless of indigency status, who are financially incapacitated and unable to meet the necessary expenditures for the medical treatment of their catastrophic or life- and limb- threatening illnesses,” he said.
Lacson said UMAP will be in accordance with the full implementation of the No Balance Billing (NBB) and No Co-Payment policies. “It shall serve as a supplementary but guaranteed source of financing to benefit qualified patients who, after having exhausted PhilHealth benefits and other subsidies, still have to incur out-of-pocket payments,” he said.
The bill also penalizes political exploitation and manipulation of the program in any shape or form. It provides for a medical assistance database for verification, claims tracking, and program evaluation to ensure its proper implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
Lacson’s bill amends RA 11223, the Universal Health Care Act, adding provisions for, among others, a “comprehensive and inclusive government medical assistance program that promote(s) efficiency, transparency, equity, and responsible use of healthcare resources.”
It also seeks consideration for financially incapacitated patients, who are not classified as indigents but who show inability to pay or spend for their medical treatment that may deplete their finances, as certified by medical social workers.
All assistance provided under the UHC Act shall be explicitly identified as funded by taxpayers’ money, and “no public official shall claim, imply or represent that such funds were personally donated or allocated through his or her individual initiative or discretion.”
Government officials involved in political exploitation and manipulation, including endorsing individuals for the program or violating the provision against grabbing credit, face perpetual absolute disqualification from holding public office and possible criminal, civil or administrative charges.
*****
Panukala ni Ping Lacson, Aalisin ang Pamumulitika sa MAIFIP
Naghain ng panukala si Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson para alisin ang pamumulitika sa Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program ng Department of Health sa pamamagitan ng pagsasailalim nito sa Universal Health Care Act – at pagpataw ng parusa sa pamumulitika.
Sa Senate Bill 404 na may titulong “Universal Medical Assistance Act of 2025,” iginiit ni Lacson na matatanggal ang “overlaps and redundancies” sa ibang medical assistance programs na ipinapatupad ng ibang ahensya ng gobyerno.
“By consolidating MAIFIP within the framework of the UHC, we can effectively address the issue of payment delays for medical services rendered by DOH-licensed and/or accredited health facilities because of political interference. The proposed legislation also aims to eliminate the politicization of the program, thus curbing the culture of mendicancy and political patronage,” aniya.
“A coherent and unified health system under Universal Healthcare must be established to effectively address the needs of indigent and marginalized families. Individuals, regardless of economic status, who suffer from catastrophic illnesses and similar medical conditions and its corresponding substantial financial burdens, should meaningfully benefit from the government’s comprehensive safety net and enjoy affordable and accessible health services — free from political interventions that shamelessly exploit government programs to curry public favor,¨ dagdag niya.
Binanggit ni Lacson ang mga ulat kung saan hindi na tinatanggap ng pribadong ospital ang guarantee letter mula sa opisyal ng gobyerno para matanggap ang pasyente sa MAIFIP, dahil nagkakaroon na ng “outstanding payables.”
Dagdag niya na bagama’t nagbibigay ng guarantee letter ang mga gobernador, senador, taga-Kamara at ibang opisyal, may pangamba ang ilang pribadong healthcare facilities na hindi sila mababayaran sa ilalim ng MAIFIP kung ang guarantee letters ay inendorso ng mga kandidatong natalo sa eleksyon noong Mayo.
“These issues grossly undermine the delivery of public services and cast the medical program in a negative light,” ani Lacson.
Ani rin ni Lacson, nabanggit ng Social Protection Plan 2023-2028 na kailangang pag-aralan ang kasalukuyang mga medical assistance program dahil sa posibleng duplication.
Sa kanyang panukala, ipinunto ni Lacson na sa ilalim ng UHC, ang lahat ng Pilipino ay matik na enrolled sa National Health Insurance Program. Napapabuti dito ang access sa individual healthcare sa pamamagitan ng secured financing ng PhilHealth, at dito ay maaaring magpatupad ang DOH ng mas epektibong population-based na public health program.
“Hence, this bill seeks to consolidate and harmonize MAIFIP with the Universal Healthcare Act under the unified program to be known as the Universal Medical Assistance Program (UMAP). UMAP shall be accessible to all patients, regardless of indigency status, who are financially incapacitated and unable to meet the necessary expenditures for the medical treatment of their catastrophic or life- and limb- threatening illnesses,” ani Lacson.
Diin ni Lacson, tutugma ang UMAP sa polisiyang No Balance Billing (NBB) at No Co-Payment. “It shall serve as a supplementary but guaranteed source of financing to benefit qualified patients who, after having exhausted PhilHealth benefits and other subsidies, still have to incur out-of-pocket payments,” aniya.
Ipinagbabawal sa panukala ni Lacson ang “political exploitation and manipulation of the program in any shape or form.” May probisyon din ang panukala para sa medical assistance database “for verification, claims tracking, and program evaluation to ensure its proper implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.”
Sa panukala ni Lacson, aamyendahan ang RA 11223 o ang Universal Health Care Act, at dadagdagan ng probisyon para sa “comprehensive and inclusive government medical assistance program that promote(s) efficiency, transparency, equity, and responsible use of healthcare resources.”
Magbibigay ito ng konsiderasyon para sa “financially incapacitated patients” na hindi man na-classify bilang “indigents” pero hindi kayang gumastos para sa mamahaling paggamot.
Ang tulong mula sa UHC Act ay tiyak na kikilalanin na galing sa pera ng taumbayan. “(N)o public official shall claim, imply or represent that such funds were personally donated or allocated through his or her individual initiative or discretion.”
Ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno na sangkot sa “political exploitation and manipulation,” kabilang ang pag-endorso sa pasyente at paglabag sa probisyon laban sa “credit-grabbing,” ay haharap sa habang buhay na diskwalipikasyon sa gobyerno, bukod sa posibleng kasong kriminal, sibil o administratibo.
*****