MANILA, Philippines – Naghain ng isang panukala si Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson na naglalayong 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 panukalang 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 awtomatikong 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 promotes 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. Ernie Reyes
