Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session
House Bill No. 10690
Introduced by Honorable Ma. Alana Samanta Taliño Santos
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF PRICES FOR HOSPITAL AND
AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER PROCEDURES AND DRUGS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Health care remains inaccessible and inequitable in the Philippines. Despite the passage of Republic
Act (RA) No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act of 2018, out-of-pocket expenses remain to be
the Filipinos’ major source of financing for medical care. The average health expenditure of a
household is also burdened by the extreme wide variation of drug prices. Analyzing the price data
for the twenty most procured drugs, one study shows that the price differentials, the ratio of lowest
and highest costing drug, reached up to sixty times.
This measure seeks to address a mandatory public disclosure for the top twenty five most
frequently performed hospital and ambulatory surgical center procedures and top twenty five most
frequently administered drugs. This will empower patients to make a cost-effective decision that
will help manage the Filipino patient’s financial expectations. Through a publicly disclosed price list,
patients are more informed in choosing hospital procedures suitable for their needs and budget. As
a result, the average Filipino patient has a more comprehensive estimate of the total financial cost.
Public disclosure leads to more transparency, driving a direct provider response in health care.
While there are no global and comprehensive empirical studies on the implication of the price
disclosures in health care, recent studies show positive impacts thereby resulting in fair pricing of
medical costs and services. In a 2023 pilot study in Shanghai, findings show that information
disclosure on procedure prices led to the high-cost public hospitals to reduce their prices to match
the low-cost ones. In the similar study in the United States, a 2023 study’s finding shows that
hospitals that disclose their prices had higher annual revenue, and were more likely to provide
emergency services as well as be in highly concentrated markets.
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this measure is earnestly sought.
MA. ALANA SAMANTHA TALIÑO SANTOS
Representative
3rd District, Cotabato Province
July 30, 2024
1:44 pm


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Third Regular Session
House Bill No. 10690
Introduced by Honorable Ma. Alana Samanta Taliño Santos
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF PRICES FOR HOSPITAL AND
AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER PROCEDURES AND DRUGS
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Hospital Price Disclosure Act."
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the
right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. Towards this end, the
State shall ensure access of patients and the general public to price information of healthcare
providers and facilities, thereby promoting transparency and fair pricing of health-related services
and goods.
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the term:
(a) "Hospital" - shall refer to a facility licensed to provide care and treatment for sick or
injured patients, primarily while they are acutely ill or chronically ill. It must have facilities for
diagnostic treatment and major surgery and maintains permanent and full-time facilities for the
care of overnight resident bed patients under the supervision of one or more licensed physicians.
(b) Ambulatory Surgical Center - shall refer to a public or private medical-surgery
establishment with an on-site organized medical staff of physicians and a permanent facility with
operating room equipment which does not provide services or accommodations for patients to stay
overnight.
(c) "DOH" - shall refer to the Department of Health.
(d) "Secretary" - shall refer to the Secretary of Health.
SECTION 4. Data Reporting by Hospitals and Ambulatory Surgical Centers and Public
Posting. -
(a) Quarterly Reporting Requirement. - Not later than forty-five (45) days after the end of each
calendar quarter (beginning more than one year after the date of the enactment of this subsection)
a hospital shall report to the Secretary, for each procedure or drug selected under Section 4 par. (b),


and an ambulatory surgical center shall report to the Secretary, for each procedure selected under
Section 5, the following data:
(1) The frequency with which the hospital performed the procedure, or administered the drug in an
inpatient setting, or the center performed the procedure during such quarter.
(2) If the procedure was performed or the drug was administered during such a quarter, the
average and the median of the price charged by the hospital or center for such procedure or drug
during such quarter.
(b) Selection of Procedures and Drugs. - Based on national data, the Secretary shall select the
following:
(1) The twenty-five (25) most frequently performed hospital inpatient procedures;
(2) The twenty-five (25) most frequently performed hospital outpatient procedures;
(3) The fifty (50) most frequently administered drugs in a hospital inpatient setting. The Secretary
shall periodically update the procedures and drugs selected.
SECTION 5. Administrative Provisions. -
(a) Classification of Procedures. - For the purpose of Section 4, the Secretary shall establish
rules for the classification of different medical procedures and for the assignment of items and
services to these procedures.
(b) Computation of Average and Median Prices. - For purposes of Section 4, the computation
of an average and median price for a procedure or drug shall be in accordance with a methodology
prescribed by the Secretary. Such methodology may provide for reporting by the hospital or
ambulatory surgical center of unit prices for specific items and service included in a procedure,
including appropriate per diem prices, and a method of converting such unit prices for a procedure
to an average and median price for such procedure.
(c) Form of Report and Notice. - The Secretary shall specify the electronic form and manner
by which a hospital or ambulatory surgical center shall report data under Section 4 and the form for
posting of notices under Section 5 (b).
SECTION 6. Public Availability Of Data. -
(a) Public posting of data. - The Secretary shall promptly post, on the official public Internet
site of the Department of Health the data reported under Section 4. Such data shall be set forth in a
manner that promotes price comparison among hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers.
(b) Notice of availability. - A hospital and ambulatory surgical center shall prominently post
at each admission site of the hospital or center a notice of the availability of the data reported under
Section 4 on the official public web site of the Department of Health.
SECTION 7. Penalty. - The Secretary may impose a fine of not more than Ten Thousand
Pesos (P10,000.00) for each violation of the provisions of Section 4 by a hospital or ambulatory
surgical center, without prejudice to the suspension/revocation of DOH authorization issued to the
non-complying hospital or ambulatory surgical center.
SECTION 8. Appropriation. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as may be
necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. Thereafter, the
amount necessary for the continuous operation of the Public Disclosure Program shall be included
in the annual appropriation of the DOH.


SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain
valid and subsisting.
SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order,
letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent with the
provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.
SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,