12/15/2025
Editorial
Relief seen for poor patients in private hospitals
Many poor people believe owners of private hospitals in the Philippines are heartless, and what matters most to them is the bottom line of their business.
We cannot blame poor individuals for their negative feeling about private hospitals: They have sad experiences in dealing with these hospitals regarding payment of bills.
Hospital executives, following the instructions of the owners, don't allow admission of emergency patients who cannot put up down payment of from P50,000 to P100,000.
Emergency patients need immediate medical attention, and delay even in a few seconds could mean life or death. In such situation, we could imagine how deeply disappointed the relatives of a patient be if he/she could not be admitted because they could not pay the down payment.
There are times when the relatives -- fearing the death of their loved one if not attended to immediately -- cannot control themselves and berate hospital personnel.
Often, though, they would pay the required amount by borrowing the money from friends or other relatives.
Also, patients have complained about hospitals' requirement for them to fully pay their bills before they could be discharged. Their failure to pay results in their detention and, consequently, more hospital expenses.
(There are also reports that even cadavers of patients are not released until their families fully pay the bills.)
A young patient with a brain condition at South City Medical Center in Bacoor City, Cavite remained confined in the ICU for months because of the failure of his parents to pay the bills amounting several millions.
The kid was released only after his parents signed a promissory note. His father, an overseas Filipino workers, was required to remit to the hospital a substantial amount of his monthly salary.
It appears, though, that Congress will soon pass a law that would prohibit private hospitals from imposing draconian rules on patients.
The Senate recently approved on committee level a bill that would strengthen current rules prohibiting hospital detention.
One important provision of the bill benefits indigent senior citizens who would no longer be required to sign promissory notes if they are endorsed by the hospital's social worker.
The bill, which seeks to amend Republic Act No. 9439, prohibits the hospitals from doing the following:
Holding or “detaining” the patient physically; restricting the patient’s departure due to unsettled bills; and requiring that the patient remain confined or pay excessive or arbitrary fees in order to leave the hospital.
It is urgent that Congress pass the bill immediately. Its enactment into law could save hundreds of lives.
