Filipinos seeking financial assistance for medical expenses can apply directly to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) without securing an endorsement from their local government units (LGUs).
Atty. Lauro Patiag, PCSO Assistant General Manager for the Charity Sector, clarified during an interview with DZRH's "The Situation Report" that individuals may personally submit applications for assistance covering hospital confinement, chemotherapy medications, laboratory procedures, PET scans, and CT scans.
Applicants must prepare the necessary documents, including a medical abstract and, for hospital confinement, a final hospital bill. Requests for laboratory procedures and medical implants generally require at least three quotations.
Patiag emphasized that PCSO does not provide reimbursements, meaning applicants must have an outstanding hospital bill or unpaid obligation to qualify for assistance. A notarized promissory note may be required as proof of the remaining balance.
Patients are advised to submit their applications on the day of discharge or one day before. PCSO's 73 branch offices accept applications online or in person, although filing in Metro Manila is exclusively online through the agency's website. Applications may also be coursed through Malasakit Centers in government hospitals.
Meanwhile, PCSO Officer-in-Charge of Public Relations and Corporate Communications Division Andrew Limjoco clarified that requests under the agency's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program follow a different process, with LGUs, legislative offices, accredited non-government organizations, and national government agencies serving as requesting institutions.
The public may visit the official PCSO website for the complete list of medical assistance requirements and application procedures.
