IN a move to shield patients from potentially crippling medical expenses, the Department of Health (DOH) is actively exploring reforms to address the largely unregulated professional fees (PFs) charged by doctors in the country.
This initiative aims to introduce a more structured approach to healthcare costs, ensuring fair and affordable access for all Filipinos.
DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo highlighted the current system’s shortcomings in a recent dzBB interview, noting that doctors in the Philippines independently determine their PFs.
“In healthcare, PF is a very sensitive issue because doctors set their own fees. But in other countries, it is not the doctors who set these fees; it can be the government or the medical association,” Domingo said.
The lack of regulation, according to Domingo, poses challenges for the government in fully covering patients’ hospital bills. The DOH is now engaging with the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), urging them to take a leading role in establishing PF tariff ranges. The goal is to create safeguards against excessively high medical costs and promote a more transparent and equitable healthcare system.
“We have consistently said that the medical association should lead in setting tariffs because it has the moral authority to convene discussions and address the excessively wide range of PFs,” Domingo stated, emphasizing the importance of collaborative discussions to find a balanced solution.
The proposed reforms reflect the DOH’s commitment to making healthcare more accessible and affordable for all citizens, by addressing the financial burdens associated with unregulated medical fees.
