Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The offering and operation of health plans is a growing and profitable industry in the 
Philippines. People subscribe to these health plans and pay substantial sums for 
guaranteed access to quality health care when they need it. 
One of the critical factors that ensure quality health care is a patient’s access to all 
relevant information necessary to make appropriate decisions about their health care.  
Open medical communication between health care providers and their patients is a key 
to prevention and early diagnosis and treatment, as well as to informed consent and 
quality, cost-effective care, therefore open medical communications are in the best 
interests of patients.  It is critical that health care providers continue to exercise their 
best medical, ethical, and moral judgment in advising patients without interference from 
health plans. 
This bill seeks to establish a national standard that protects medical communications 
between health care providers and patients.  
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
November 10, 2022
2:54 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. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
PROTECTING CERTAIN TYPES OF MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS 
BETWEEN A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND A PATIENT  
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 “Patient’s Right to Know Act.” 
SECTION 2. Definitions of Terms. – For the purposes of this Act, the term: 
(A)
“Health Care Provider” means anyone licensed or certified under Philippine law to 
provide health care services and who is operating within the scope of such license; 
(B)
“Health insurance issuer” means any company, corporation, association or 
organization that offers any policy, contract or agreement that stipulates to provide 
for the insured either medical attention, medicine, care during disability, or money 
necessary for any such purposes; 
(C)
“Health plan” means a group health plan and any individual health insurance 
operated by a health insurance and includes any other health care coverage 
provided through a private or public entity.  In the case of a health plan, that is an 
employee welfare benefit plan, any third party administrator or other person with 
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responsibility for contracts with health care providers under the plan shall be 
considered, for purposes of enforcement under this section, to be a health issuer 
operating such health plan; and 
 
(D) “Medical communication” means any communication made by a health care 
provider with a patient of the health care provider or the guardian or legal 
representative of such patient with respect to – 
(1) 
The patient’s health status, medical care, or legal treatment options;   
(2) 
Any utilization review requirements that may affect treatment options for the 
patient; or  
(3) 
Any financial incentives that may affect the treatment of the patient.  
 
The term does not include a communication by a health care provider with a patient of 
the health care provider or the guardian or legal representative of such patient if the 
communication involves a knowing or willful misrepresentation by such provider. 
 
SECTION 3. Prohibition of Interference with Certain Medical Communications. – 
 
(A)   Prohibition. – 
(1)  General Rule. – The provisions of any contract or agreement, or the operation 
of any contract or agreement, between an entity operating a health plan 
(including any partnership, association, or other organization that enters into 
or administers such a contract or agreement) and a health care provider (or 
group of health care providers) shall not prohibit or restrict the provider from 
engaging in medical communications with his or her patient. 
 
(2)  Nullification. – Any contract provision or agreement described in paragraph (1) 
shall be null and void.  
 
(3)  Prohibition on Provisions. – Effective on the date described in Section 7, a 
contract or agreement described in paragraph (1) shall not include a provision 


 
 
that violates paragraph (1). 
 
(B)  Rules of Construction. – Nothing is this Act shall be construed – 
(1)  To prohibit the enforcement, as part of a contract or agreement to which a 
health care provider is a party, of any mutually agreed upon terms and 
conditions, including terms and conditions requiring a health care provider to 
participate in, and cooperate with, all programs, policies, and procedures 
developed or operated by a health plan to assure, review, or improve the 
quality and effective utilization of health care services, if such utilization is 
according to the guidelines or protocols that are based on clinical or scientific 
evidence and the professional judgment of the provide, but only if the 
guidelines or protocols under such utilization do not prohibit or restrict medical 
communications between providers and their patients; or  
 
(2)  To permit a health care provider to misrepresent the scope of benefits covered 
under a health plan or to otherwise require the plan to reimburse providers for 
benefits not covered under the plan. 
 
SECTION 4. Penalty Clause. – An entity operating a health plan in the Philippines that 
violates Section 3(A) shall be subject to a fine of up to Two Hundred Thousand Pesos 
(P200,000.00) for each such violation. 
 
SECTION 5. 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 6. Repealing Clause. – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or 
inconsistent with, the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended 
accordingly. 
 


 
 
SECTION 7. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,