Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO.______ 
Introduced by Hon. Mark O. Go 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation reports that chronic kidney disease 
(CKD) is the fifth most common cause of death and disability for all ages combined in the 
Philippines with around 2.3 million Filipinos suffering from CKD. 
End stage renal disease (ESRD) occurs when CKD reaches an advanced state. Patients 
with ESRD require renal replacement therapy, which includes dialysis and kidney 
transplantation. Currently, there are around 100,000 patients needing dialysis services in the 
country. This number is expected to increase by 15% yearly. Despite the high burden of disease 
for CKD, kidney transplantation rate, which is the gold standard of treatment, remains low. The 
high costs of renal replacement therapy often leads to catastrophic health expenditure for the 
average filipino family. 
This measure aims to make comprehensive renal replacement therapy services available 
to all Filipinos who suffer from ESRD by including it in the coverage of treatment services 
provided by Philhealth. It also supports kidney transplantation as the gold standard treatment 
option that provides the highest quality of life for esrd patients and ensures the full 
rehabilitation of the patient. 
Among the key provisions are the expansion of Philhealth benefit packages for kidney 
transplantation or renal replacement therapy and the provision of free dialysis services to 
indigent patients. In addition, all government hospitals at the national, regional, and provincial 
levels are required to establish, operate, and maintain a dialysis service facility in their hospital.  
This bill has been approved by the House of Representatives in the 18th Congress and 
was transmitted to the Senate for its consideration and approval.  However, due to lack of 
material time, this proposed measure was not enacted into law. 
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
MARK O. GO 
July 1, 2022 
7:03 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
Introduced by Hon. Mark O. Go 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE RENAL CARE FOR PATIENTS 
WITH END STAGE RENAL DISEASE IN ALL GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS 
AT THE NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND PROVINCIAL LEVELS, 
INCREASING THE PHILHEALTH BENEFIT PACKAGE FOR RENAL 
REPLACEMENT THERAPY AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. -- This Act shall be known as the “Comprehensive 
Renal Care Act.” 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. -- It is the declared policy of the State to make 
available essential goods, health and other social services to all citizens at affordable cost 
and to deliver medical care to indigents free of charge. the state shall continuously improve 
the quality and accessibility of health services delivered in health facilities. 
Pursuant to this, the State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach 
to health service delivery that shall include comprehensive renal replacement therapy for 
patients who are diagnosed with end stage renal disease. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. -- as used in this Act: 
A. End Stage Renal Disease or ESRD refers to the final stage of chronic kidney disease
in which the kidneys no longer function well enough to meet the needs of a patient’s
daily life;
B. Hemodialysis or HD refers to a medical procedure to remove fluid and waste
products from the blood and to correct electrolyte imbalances using a synthetic
membrane or dialyzer which is also referred to as an “artificial kidney”;
C. Indigent refers to a patient who has no source of income or whose income is not
sufficient for family subsistence as identified by the social worker of the Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or the social worker of the concerned
local government unit;
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D. Kidney Transplant or KT refers to a surgical procedure to place a healthy kidney
from a live or deceased donor into a person whose kidneys no longer function
sufficiently to sustain the person’s life;
E. Philippine Health Facility Development Plan refers to the macro plan for the
country’s health facilities developed by the department of health that guides
government health facility development and investment;
F. Philippine Renal Disease Registry refers to the national registry of the incidence and
prevalence of patients receiving peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis treatment, and
those who underwent kidney transplant;
G. Peritoneal Dialysis or PD refers to a treatment for kidney failure and a type of
dialysis that uses the person’s peritoneum or the lining of abdominal cavity as the
membrane through which fluid and toxic substances are exchanged with blood;
H. PD First Policy refers to the policy where peritoneal dialysis, when feasible, is
offered as the first dialysis modality to RRT patients;
I.
Renal Replacement Therapy or RRT refers to therapy that partially replaces the
functions of the normal kidney. this may be in the form of kidney transplantation,
peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis.
SEC. 4. Establishment of Dialysis Units/Facilities in National, Regional, and 
Provincial Government Hospitals. -- All government hospitals at the national, regional, 
and provincial levels shall be required to establish, operate and maintain a dialysis service 
facility/unit in their hospital capable of providing both peritoneal dialysis and/or 
hemodialysis services that are compliant with the licensing and accreditation requirements 
set by the Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation 
(Philhealth).   
All government hospitals at the national, regional, and provincial levels shall have 
the necessary personnel, equipment and supplies for both hemodialysis and peritoneal 
dialysis. These facilities shall follow a PD first policy, unless there is a contraindication to 
its use in a particular patient.    
SEC. 5. Strengthening the Designated Kidney Transplant Centers in National 
Hospitals. -- Renal care and transplant centers shall be established in select DOH hospitals 
across the regions. In alignment with the approved Philippine Health Facility Development 
Plan. These renal care and transplant centers shall provide kidney transplant and renal care 
services and training in accordance with the standards set by the DOH. 
SEC. 6. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Prevention And Health Promotion. -- 
All government hospitals at the national, regional, and provincial levels and private stand-
alone dialysis facilities shall establish their Renal Disease Control Program (REDCOP) 
that will promote the early recognition of kidney disease, identify persons at high risk of 
developing kidney disease, and initiate preventive strategies to either prevent the 
development of kidney disease from diabetes and hypertension, or to delay its progression 
to end stage renal disease for patients and relatives who are at risk of developing CKD. 
Further, the program shall include advocacy activities for organ donation. 


SEC. 7. Financing For Renal Replacement Therapy. -- The government shall 
ensure appropriate financing to provide access to comprehensive renal care including 
hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplant services.  Optimal financial risk 
protection shall be given to indigents patients.  Dialysis treatment in all government 
hospitals at the national, regional, and provincial level shall be provided free of charge to 
indigent patients.  
 
The PhilHealth benefits for renal replacement therapy shall be expanded 
accordingly in consideration of PhilHealth’s financial sustainability. The PhilHealth 
benefit package for kidney transplantation shall be increased to include the cost of 
laboratory work up and cost of hospitalization for the transplant operation including all 
medications 
such 
as 
induction 
immunosuppression 
and 
maintenance 
oral 
immunosuppression, machine perfusion of procured organs, the cost for organ retrieval, 
and post-discharge laboratory examinations for both recipient and donor candidates.  
 
Likewise, the Philhealth benefit packages for dialysis shall be increased to cover a 
minimum of three (3) peritoneal dialysis exchanges per day for three hundred sixty-five 
(365) days for peritoneal dialysis and a minimum of three (3) sessions frequency a week, 
four (4) hours per session for hemodialysis. The Philhealth packages shall also cover the 
dialysis treatment, dialyzer, necessary medications and supplies, professional fees, and 
hospital or dialysis clinic charges. 
 
SEC. 8. Human Resources. -- The government shall ensure availability of human 
resources to complement services of renal facilities as prescribed in the governing rules 
and regulations of the doh on staffing standards.  
 
The DOH, National Kidney And Transplant Institute (NKTI) Philippine Society For 
Transplant Surgeons (PSTS), and the Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN) shall 
provide training for medical personnel such as but not limited to  physicians, surgeons, 
nurses and other allied health practitioners.  
 
SEC. 9. Institutionalization of The Philippine Renal Disease Registry (PRDR). -
-Private and public hospitals, dialysis centers for both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, 
and transplant facilities shall be mandated to report to the Philippine Renal Disease 
Registry of the DOH the incidence and prevalence of patients receiving peritoneal dialysis 
or hemodialysis treatment, and who have received a kidney transplant.   
 
SEC. 10. Strengthening of the Philippine Network for Organ Sharing 
(PHILNOS). -- The implementation of the PHILNOS pursuant to the provisions of 
Republic Act No. 7170, otherwise known as the “Organ Donation Act of 1991”, shall be 
strengthened. All RRT facilities shall be part of the organ and tissue donor referral system 
and shall be required to engage in regular organ donation advocacy activities.  
 
 SEC. 11. Availment of Persons with Disability (PWD) Benefits by CKD Patients. 
CKD patients shall be classified as PWD. they shall be entitled to PWD benefits in 
accordance with Republic Act No. 7277, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Disabled 
Persons. the Philhealth and DOH Health Technology Assessment Council shall conduct 
an in-depth study on both the direct and indirect cost of being afflicted with kidney disease 
and undergoing treatment for it. 
 
SEC. 12. Penalty. -- Any hospital chief, administrator or officer-in-charge of 
hospitals, dialysis centers, and health facilities who fails to provide free dialysis services 


for admitted indigent patients shall be meted with a fine of Fifty Thousand Pesos 
(P50,000.00) but not more than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00). 
 
Likewise, persons receiving free treatment of medicines for end stage renal disease 
or PD or HD services from government hospitals and its agencies, such as the Philhealth, 
who are found selling these medications or services instead of using them for their own 
treatment, shall be penalized with a warning for first offense, suspension of their Philhealth 
membership for a period of three (3) months for second offense, and suspension of their 
Philhealth membership for a period of six (6) months for third offense. 
 
SEC. 13. Appropriations. -- The initial amount necessary to implement the 
provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current year's appropriation of the DOH 
for DOH-managed hospitals and LGU for LGU-managed hospitals. Thereafter, such sum 
as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be included in the 
Annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
     SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulation. -- Within sixty (60) days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the Department of Health, in coordination with the heads of 
Philhealth, heads of renal care facilities, and other relevant concerned agencies, shall 
formulate the necessary rules and regulations to fully implement the provisions of this Act.  
 
SEC. 15. Separability Cause. -- 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. 
 
SEC. 16.  Repealing Clause. – All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, 
proclamations or administrative regulations that are inconsistent with the provisions of this 
Act are repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.  
  
SEC. 17.  Effectivity.  –  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.  
 
 
Approved.