HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES/ «;” RECEIVED
Quezon City P RECEI 0-5 2022 &)

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bit'No,_*401

Introduced by HON. MARIA FE R. ABUNDA
Representative, Lone District, Eastern Samar

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act 9439, entitled “An Act Prohibiting the Detention of Patients in Hospitals
and Medical Clinics on Grounds of Nonpayment of Hospital Bills or Medical Expenses”, is a
necessary and significant measure enacted in 2007. The said law makes it illegal for “any
hospital or medical clinic in the country to detain or to otherwise cause, directly or indirectly,
the detention of patients who have fully or partially recovered or have been adequately attended
to or who may have died, for reasons of nonpayment in part or in full of hospital bills or medical
expenses.

Comprehensive and exacting as the law is, however, there have still been several news
reports of medical institutions refusing to discharge patients and cadavers on the ground of
non-payment. A cursory review of this problem seems to point to an existing information gap,
such that patients and their families are not aware of the protection this law affords them.

Thus, this law seeks to mend that information gap by mandating hospitals and medical
clinics to post notices of this law in places immediately available for everyone’s viewing,
Further, this law seeks the Department of Health’s further assistance in bridging the aforesaid
gap.

There are indeed efforts towards a more inclusive medical care system in the
Philippines. However, even before such a system could be attained, we must now extend care
towards families who tend to their sick or mourn over their departed. As the passage of this bill
is one such way towards extending that care, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly
sought.

MARIA FE R. ABUNDA
, Lone District, Eastern Samar


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bil No, __ 4401

Introduced by HON. MARIA FE R. ABUNDA
Representative, Lone District, Eastern Samar

AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9439 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “AN
ACT PROHIBITING THE DETENTION OF PATIENTS IN HOSPITALS AND
MEDICAL CLINICS ON GROUNDS OF NONPAYMENT OF HOSPITAL BILLS OR
MEDICAL EXPENSES”

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9439 is hereby amended to read as
follows:

“Sec. 4, ALL HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL CLINICS IN THE
COUNTRY SHALL CAUSE THE POSTING IN THEIR LOBBY,
BY THEIR FRONT DOOR, OR ON ANY OTHER SUCH
IMMEDIATELY VISIBLE AND CONSPICUOUS LOCATION IN
THEIR BUILDINGS A PRINT OUT OF THIS LAW IN A
LIKEWISE VISIBLE AND CONSPICUOUS MANNER. SHOULD
SUCH HOSPITAL OR MEDICAL CLINIC HAVE AN
EMERGENCY ROOM, A SIMILAR POSTING SHALL ALSO BE
POSTED BY THE FRONT DOOR OF SAID EMERGENCY
ROOM.”

SECTION 2. The sections of the Republic Act No. 9349 previously denominated as
Sections 4, 5, 6, and 7 are hereby renumbered as Sections 5, 4, 6, and 7 respectively

SECTION 3. The section of Republic Act No. 9439 previously denominated as
Section 4, and hereby renumbered as Section 5 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 5. The Department of Health shall promulgate the necessary rules
and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act AND SHALL
LAUNCH AN INFORMATION CAMPAIGN REGARDING THE
EXISTENCE OF THE SAME.”

SECTION 3. Effectivity.— This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following
its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two newspapers of general circulation

Approved,