SENIOR Citizens Party-list Representative Rodolfo Ordanes delivered a privilege speech at the House of Representatives, calling on the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth to investigate alleged violations of the Zero Balance Billing policy, the Anti-Hospital Detention Act, and the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program.
Ordanes highlighted the hardships faced by senior citizens seeking medical care in several hospitals.
Ordanes stated that his office has received specific complaints regarding the Philippine Heart Center, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), and the Sorsogon Medical Mission Group Hospital and Health Services Cooperative.
These complaints point to alleged anomalies in the implementation of the Anti-Hospital Detention Act at the Sorsogon hospital and the Philippine Heart Center. There were also complaints about the Zero Balance Billing policy at PHC and VMMC, and issues with the guarantee letters under the MAIFIP Program presented at the NKTI.
Ordanes cited instances where senior citizens, cleared for discharge, were allegedly detained due to unpaid bills. He also mentioned a case where a deceased patient’s remains were allegedly withheld for the same reason at the Sorsogon Medical Mission Group Hospital and Health Services Cooperative. Additionally, he noted an incident where the Philippine Heart Center allegedly denied admission and discharge to a patient despite the family’s willingness to provide collateral.
Ordanes also raised concerns about the NKTI pharmacy allegedly using the remaining balance on a senior citizen’s MAIFIP guarantee letter to purchase medication not included in the patient’s prescription. He suspects that this practice is widespread and that the pharmacy may be reselling these medications to other patients with similar conditions.
Ordanes urged the DOH to ensure that all hospitals, both public and private, adhere to proper discharge protocols and do not detain senior citizens due to financial constraints. He also called on PhilHealth to conduct a thorough review of the implementation of Zero Balance Billing, particularly in hospitals with repeated complaints.
