«De Lima calls for investigation into unpaid PhilHealth hospital claims»

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The House of Representatives has proposed a congressional investigation into unpaid claims by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in several private hospitals.

This call was made through Resolution 46 by a representative from the Liberal Party, amid reports that some private hospitals are considering funding through the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program.

The Philippine Association of Private Hospitals (PHAPI) previously reported that 43 hospitals in Batangas are awaiting payments for claims exceeding 530 million pesos, with one hospital alone having outstanding receivables of 94 million pesos.

«This is an ongoing issue that needs urgent resolution once and for all. It burdens patients and their families with additional fear over whether they can receive government assistance for medical expenses,» the representative stated.

«They are already worried about their illness, and now they also fear high hospital costs. Filipinos should not be denied urgent medical care simply because they cannot afford hospital bills or because private hospitals doubt the government will pay them,» she added.

(Patients and their families are already anxious about high medical expenses.)

The representative urged the government to establish clear mechanisms, including fast and affordable remedies, to promptly settle unpaid hospital claims. This would ensure hospitals can continue providing quality and efficient medical services without resorting to closures or refusing guarantee letters from indigent patients.

The investigation will review existing government policies on settling unpaid hospital bills and identify gaps causing payment delays to address them swiftly.

«These unpaid debts affect hospitals’ financial stability and operational costs, including healthcare workers’ salaries. This is concerning because it impacts their operations and services. How can we fulfill the Universal Health Care Law’s purpose if this problem persists?» she said.

(This situation is alarming—how can we implement universal healthcare if this issue remains unresolved?)

«We must resolve this to protect patients’ rights and ensure the government fulfills its obligations to hospitals and clinics regarding unpaid bills,» she added.

The 2025 national budget of P6.352 trillion allocates zero subsidies for PhilHealth due to the state insurer’s failure to utilize available funds.

Meanwhile, MAIFIP is a Department of Health (DOH) program providing financial aid to indigent Filipinos for medical expenses. The 2025 national budget allocates P41.15 billion for this program.