Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City
Fifteenth Congress

First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 1925

Tatroduced by:

fon. Mary Mitzi “Mitel

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The 1987 Constitution recognizes the importance of adopting an integrated and
comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods,
health and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost especially to the
needs of the under-privileged and women among other marginalized sectors.

Along these lines, the establishment of women’s health care centers that will focus on the
prevention and treatment of breast and cervical cancers is a matter that must be addressed by the
State as these diseases are now considered the leading causes of deaths among Filipino women.

In Asia, the Philippines has the highest incidence rate of breast cancer and is considered
to have the ninth highest incidence rate in the world today. On the other hand, cervical cancer is
the second leading cause of cancer deaths among Filipino women and in the world.

According to the Department of Health cervical and breast cancers are both killer
diseases when not detected early and poses burden on patient, families, communities, sectors of
the society and the national development of the country.

This measure seeks to provide Filipino women hightened information about these
dreaded diseases and provide them with more accessible and affordable specialized care for
breast and cervical cancers through prevention, early detection, screening and treatment
programs.

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this

is earnestly sought.

MARY MITZI “Mitch” L. CAJAYON


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Fifteenth Congress
First Regular Session

a9

HOUSE BILL NO. _++

Introduced by: Hon. Mary Mitzi “Mitch” L. Cajayon

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE CENTERS
IN EVERY REGION NATIONWIDE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and promote
the right to health of women and instill health consciousness among them.

SECTION 2. Establishment of Women’s Health Care Centers. - A women health care
center, known in this Act as "Center", shall be established in every region of the country to
speathead the fight against cervical and breast cancers. It shall be a new department in existing
regional hospitals of the National Government. Should there be no regional hospital in a region,
the Center shall be attached to any provincial hospital in the region which is most accessible to
the highest number of constituents. For the National Capital Region, a Center shall be established
at the Philippine General Hospital.

SECTION 2. Equipment and Personnel. - The Centers shall be provided with such
equipment, tools, implements, devices, apparatus, and personnel as may be necessary for them to
carry out multiple programs such as Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening Program, Cervical
and Breast Cancer Early Detection Program, Cervical and Breast Imaging, Cervical and Breast
Diagnostic and Surgery, Cervical and Breast Cancer Chemotherapy, and Cervical and Breast
Cancer Awareness Information, and Cervical Cancer Vaccination.

SECTION 3. Information and Awareness Campaign. ~ The Department of Health (DOH)
shall, in coordination with local government units, local health offices, the Philippine
Information Agency and other government agencies, shall spearhead a sustained and extensive
information and awareness campaign within their respective region to raise the level of
awareness of the region’s constituents especially the women sector on the ills, causes and
symptoms of the diseases for their early detection and prevention.

It shall coordinate with regional and local education officials to ensure thatfemale high
school students in both public and private schools are taught the pertinent information about the
diseases and are trained to habitually self-examine themselves as a part of the regular secondary
curriculum.

SECTION 4. Establishment of Women's Health Fund - There is hereby established a
women’s health fund which shall provide financial assistance for the medical care, diagnostic
and treatment services for breast and cervical cancer, and cervical cancer vaccines for indigent
patients,


The fund shall be comprised of money appropriated by Congress of the Philippines and
those allocated by the national government and all other sums designated for deposit in the fund
from any source, public or private. The fund shall be administered by the DOH.

SECTION. 5. Covered Services. - The Secretary of the DOH shall organize an
appropriate committee to promulgate the rules and regulations for the administration of the fund.

Responsibilities of the committee include, but are not limited to, the following:

1, Establishing a list of covered services approved for payment through the fund which
shall include diagnostic and treatment services for breast and cervical cancer or a condition
suggestive of such cancer. An ancillary diagnostic study may be authorized only when it is
determined by the DOH to be directly related to the confirmation of a diagnosis of cancer or is
necessary for treatment planning;

2. Setting a limitation on days of service covered by the fund. The DOH shall authorize
the number of days for reimbursement based on the medical condition of the patient and the
procedure to be performed; and

3. Reviewing requests and providing authorization for payment of diagnostic or treatment
services covered by the fund.

SECTION 6. Patient Eligibility. - To be eligible for assistance in payment of services
under the fund, the following conditions shall be met:

1. The patient is not eligible for nor covered by medical insurance other than the
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (hereinafter referred to as PhilHealth); and

2. The patient's income must be at or below the National Poverty Threshold or Poverty
Line based on the data provided by the National Statistical Coordination Board; and

3. The patient has a condition clinically indicative of breast or cervical cancer that
requires diagnostic services to confirm the preliminary diagnosis and only those services
determined to be medically necessary for that diagnostic confirmation may be authorized by the
committee for payment from the fund; or

4. The patient has received diagnostic confirmation through a positive pathology report
and is requesting payment of treatment services by the fund.

SECTION. 7. Application Process. - The DOH shall develop authorization request forms
and make the forms available to the provider upon request. An application for inpatient
diagnostic services shall be accompanied by a written, signed statement from the attending
physician which includes the medical basis for required inpatient services and explains why the
services may not be performed on an outpatient basis.

SECTION 8. Reimbursement Process. - The fund is the payor of last resort. Payment for
procedures shall be made at the current rate established by PhilHealth. A claim for authorized
services rendered shall be processed in accordance with rules promulgated by the DOH.

SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of the DOH shall
issue such guidelines, orders, or rules and regulations as may be necessary for the establishment
of a Center in every regional hospital of the national government and in every provincial hospital
to be designated by the DOH for being the most accessible to the highest number of constituents
in a region where there is no existing regional hospital, including the PGH for the NCR; for the
acquisition of the necessary equipment, tools, implements, devices, and apparatus, the hiring of
necessary equipment, tools, implements, devices, and apparatus, the hiring of personnel and fix


reasonable fees for the services of the Centers and to carry out provisions and purposes of this
Act.

SECTION 10. Operationalization and Appropriations. - To fully implement the
provisions of this Act, the Secretary of Health shall immediately include in the Department's
program the operationalization of the Centers, the funding of which shall be included in the
annual General Appropriations Act.

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,