39 Batangas hospitals affected in PHAPi’s halt in accepting guarantee letters

MANILA — The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines’ (PHAPi) policy of halting the acceptance of guarantee letters to cover hospitalization bills is limited to 39 hospitals in Batangas, Malacañang said on Monday, guaranteeing that the government has sufficient funds to cover health needs.

The PHAPi earlier said that it suspended honoring guarantee letters from the government’s Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) after unpaid dues reached P530 million.

“Nakausap po natin mismo ang pamunuan ng DOH, ang sinasabi nila na 39 hospitals lamang po sa Batangas ang nagkakaroon ngayon ng usapin patungkol sa diumanong pagbabayad nang mabilisan ng mga amount base sa guarantee letters dahil ito po daw ay wala pang kaukulang mga dokumentong naisusumite,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

“Pero hindi po nangangahulugan na iyong ibang mga ospital po ay nagkakaroon ng problema pagdating po sa bayaran,” she said.

Castro noted that indigent patients do not need to secure guarantee letters from government offices as hospitals directly under the Department of Health (DOH) can directly cover hospitalization bills for qualified patients.

“Dapat nga po ay hindi na po kinakailangan iyong—iyong tinatawag nating medical assistance for indigents and financially-incapacitated patients dahil dapat zero na po ang balanse dahil po sa PhilHealth,” she said.

“Hindi po kailangan ng guarantee letters from any politicians dahil po kapag po DOH hospitals, ang social worker po mismo ang tumitingin kung sila’y qualified at hindi naman po pulitiko,” she said.