Senator JV Ejercito called on the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to investigate the complaint of a widow who allegedly failed to receive PhilHealth benefits after her husband was not confined for at least 24 hours before he passed away.
Ejercito, principal author of the Universal Health Care Law, said the matter highlights serious concerns in the implementation of health insurance coverage and hospital policies, stressing that public funds intended for healthcare must translate into actual services for patients.
“On a widow's social media post regarding her husband's death and an alleged P1-M hospital deposit requirement, kung totoo na ang isang pasyenteng nasa kritikal na kondisyon at nangangailangan ng agarang operasyon ay hindi nabigyan ng kinakailangang paggamot dahil sa kakulangan ng kakayahang magbayad o dahil sa hinihinging deposito, ito ay dapat agad na imbestigahan,” Ejercito said.
He further said that if hospitals are not properly implementing PhilHealth policies, these should be thoroughly examined, noting that PhilHealth has the authority to penalize erring institutions, including fines and suspension of accreditation.
The senator also urged authorities to look into the alleged requirement of a ₱1-million hospital deposit, which he said may constitute a violation of Republic Act No. 10932, or the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law, which prohibits hospitals from delaying treatment in emergency cases due to financial incapacity.
“Kung may naging paglabag, dapat may managot,” Ejercito added.
Ejercito emphasized that in emergencies, the priority must always be saving lives rather than a patient’s ability to pay, calling on DOH and PhilHealth to ensure strict enforcement of existing health laws.
