DOH to release MAIFIP rules vs pol guarantees
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health expects the guidelines for a program providing medical aid to needy patients to be completed by the middle of February, as it maintained that patients seeking treatment in DOH-run hospitals do not need to seek “guarantee letters” from politicians.
The Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program, which covers the hospital costs of eligible beneficiaries, has been given a P51-billion budget this year.
The DOH had sought a hike in the MAIFIP outlay to carry out the zero-balance billing policy in hospitals under local governments.
“I expect to have the guidelines by the end of the month or by mid-February. So we now have basic principles and a working draft,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa told a Palace press briefing yesterday.
“As of now, (MAIFIP) will be following the existing 2025 implementing rules and regulations. So, I will follow that until we craft the current one for 2026,” he added.
The MAIFIP was one of the controversial items during the deliberations on the P6.793-trillion national budget for this year.
Some sectors argued that the higher funding for the program is not consistent with the goals of the Universal Health Care Act.
Critics also expressed concern that the assistance makes financially challenged patients overly dependent on politicians who issue guarantee letters. Malacañang has clarified that the MAIFIP would be implemented by the DOH, not by politicians.
At the same press briefing, Herbosa said there is no need for patients to secure guarantee letters because the government is now implementing the zero balance billing policy in DOH-run hospitals
“The DOH does not use guarantee letters,” the health chief said.
“We only issue guarantee letters to private hospitals with which the DOH has a memorandum of agreement. Other than that, we do not use guarantee letters,” he added.
If a politician issues a guarantee letter, he or she would shoulder the hospital bill, not the government, Herbosa said.
The zero billing policy, which seeks to ensure that eligible patients are discharged without paying any out-of-pocket expenses for services covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), has been in effect since July last year.
The policy guarantees that PhilHealth members admitted in a DOH hospital’s basic accommodation or ward are fully covered for hospitalization, diagnostic services and medicines included in the state insurer’s case rates.
The DOH was given a P448-billion budget for this year.
The 2026 budget contains a provision prohibiting elective officials, candidates, politicians, political parties and their representatives from influencing or participating in the actual distribution of aid, except for officials with direct administrative authority over the implementing agency.
President Marcos has vowed to strictly implement the provision, which aims to discourage political patronage.
Meanwhile, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday rejected claims that the P10-billion Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk was a last-minute insertion in the 2026 national budget.
“First of all, it is not an insertion because it was discussed in the bicam. In fact, it was in the GAB (General Appropriations Bill). It was already discussed long ago,” he said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, responding to Sen. Imee Marcos who claimed the funding came “out of nowhere.”
Gatchalian said safeguards were built into the measure, including requirements for implementing guidelines to be crafted by the Department of Agriculture. He also stressed that the assistance was designed to go directly to farmers and fisherfolk, particularly those in rural areas, and not to urban beneficiaries.
On education, enrollment in state universities and colleges (SUCs) will be affected by President Marcos’ decision to veto the P43.245-billion budget, which will fund the salaries of new government workers. – Neil Jayson Servallos, Bella Cariaso
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