SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
SENATE 
S.No. 2908 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
'15 
AUG 19 P2 :31 
TO PROVIDE FOR THE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF PRICES FOR HOSPITAL AND 
AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER PROCEDURES AND DRUGS 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 2, Section 15, provides: 
Section 15. The State shall protect and promote the right to health of 
the people and instill health consciousness among them. 
Today, seeking medical care in one's lifetime is almost to be expected. According 
to the latest figures culled by the Department of Health, the five leading causes of 
mortality in the year 2000 were: (1) diseases of the heart; (2) diseases of the vascular 
system; (3) malignant neoplasms; (4) pneumonia; and (5) accidents. 
Treatment of such diseases or conditions would not be possible with home 
remedies, but would necessitate professional medical care. If there are several medical 
centers that provide such health care, the choice of which one to go to should belong to 
the patient. However, in order for such patients to make rational decisions, access to 
reliable and adequate infonnation is key. Such information should include the financial 
costs involved in the treatment of these conditions. 
Given the rising costs of medical care, a more comprehensive estimate of the 
financial cost of such treatment would help prepare patients or family members for the 
financial burden. This information is not readily available at present. Hence, this bill 
seeks to provide the public with a full disclosure of prices for hospital and ambulatory 
surgical center procedures and drugs. This information should include rates of both 
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private and public hospitals; otherwise, it would not give the patient a complete list of 
options available in the country. 
As the government agency mandated to ensure the protection of the public's 
health, it is only appropriate that the Department of Health be tasked with the 
responsibility of relaying this information to the public. The DOH is the principal health 
agency in the Philippines. It is responsible for ensuring access to basic health services to 
all Filipinos through the provision of quality health care and the regulation of providers 
of health goods and services. It is, therefore, incumbent upon this agency to make certain 
that all hospitals and clinics that offer their medical services to the public make full 
disclosure of information vital for health care planning. l 
~ 
4L,. 
.D.~ 
~IRIAM DEF"SORS~TI¥JO 
I This bill was originally filed in the Fifteenth Congress, First Regular Session. 
2 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. No. 2908 
) 
) 
) 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
j)CI1IlTr 
(~th;r of tll'~ ~f·r1' .. br~ 
"15 
AUG19 P2:31 
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: 
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. -
This Act shall be known as the "Hospital Price 
2 
Disclosure Act". 
3 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and 
4 
promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. 
5 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the terms: 
6 
A. "Ambulatory Surgical Center" shall refer to a public or private 
7 
medical-surgery establishment with an on-site organized medical staff 
8 
of physicians and a permanent facility with 16 
operating 
room 
9 
equipment which does not provide services or accommodations for 
10 
patients to stay overnight; 
11 
B. "DOH" shall refer to the Department of Health; 
12 
C. "Hospital" shall refer to a facility licensed to provide care and 
13 
treatment for sick or injured patients, primarily while they are acutely 
14 
ill or chronically ill. It must have facilities for diagnostic treatment and 
1 


1 
major surgery and maintains permanent and full-time facilities for the 
2 
care of overnight resident bed patients under the supervision of one or 
3 
more licensed physicians; and 
4 
D. "Secretary" shall refer to the Secretary of the Department of Health. 
5 
SECTION 4. Data Reporting by Hospitals and Ambulatory Surgical Centers and 
6 
Public Posting.-
7 
A. Quarterly Reporting Requirement. - Beginning one (1) year from the 
8 
enactment of this law, hospitals shall report to the Secretary, not later 
9 
than forty-five (45) days after the end of each calendar quarter, for each 
10 
procedure or drug selected under Subsection (B) of this Section, and 
11 
ambulatory surgical centers shall report to the Secretary, for each 
12 
procedure selected under Section 5, the following data: 
13 
1. The frequency with which the hospital performed the procedure, 
14 
or administered the drug in an inpatient setting, or the center 
15 
performed the procedure during such quarter; 
16 
2. If the procedure was performed or the drug was so administered 
17 
during such quarter, the average and the median of the price 
18 
charged by the hospital or center for such procedure or drug 
19 
during such quarter; 
20 
21 
B. 
Selection of Procedures and Drugs. - Based on national data, the 
Secretary shall select the following: 
2 


1 
1. The twenty-five (25) most frequently performed hospital 
2 
inpatient procedures; 
3 
2. The twenty-five (25) most frequently performed hospital 
4 
outpatient procedures; and 
5 
3. The fifty (50) most frequently administered drugs in a hospital 
6 
inpatient setting. 
7 
The Secretary shall periodically update the procedures and drugs 
8 
selected. 
9 
SECTION 5. Administrative Provisions.-
10 
A. Classification of Procedures. - For the purpose of Section 4, the 
11 
Secretary shall establish rules for the classification of different medical 
12 
procedures and for the assignment of items and services to these 
13 
procedures; 
14 
B. Computation of Average and Median Prices. - For purposes of Section 
15 
4, the computation of an average and median price for a procedure or 
16 
drug shall be in accordance with a methodology prescribed by the 
17 
Secretary. Such methodology may provide for reporting by the hospital 
18 
or ambulatory surgical center of unit prices for specific items and 
19 
service included in a procedure, including appropriate per diem prices, 
20. 
and a method of converting such unit prices for a procedure to an 
21 
average and median price for such procedure. 
3 


1 
C. 
Form of Report and Notice. -
The Secretary shall specify the 
2 
electronic form and manner by which a hospital or ambulatory surgical 
3 
center shall report data under Section 4 and the form for posting of 
4 
notices under Section 5 (B). 
5 
SECTION 6. Public Availability of Data. -
6 
A. Public posting of data. - The Secretary shall promptly post, on the 
7 
official website of the Department of Health the data reported under 
8 
Section 4. Such data shall be set forth in a manner that promotes price 
9 
comparison among hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. 
10 
B. Notice 
of availability. - A hospital and ambulatory surgical center 
11 
shall prominently post at each admission site of the hospital or center a 
12 
notice of the availability of the data reported under Section 4 on the 
13 
official public web site ofthe Department of Health. 
14 
SECTION 7. Penalty. - Any hospital or ambulatory surgical center who fails to 
15 
comply with the provisions of this Act shall suffer a fine of not more than Ten Thousand 
16 
Pesos (rl0,000). 
17 
SECTION 8. Appropriation. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such 
18 
amount as may be necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National 
19 
Treasury. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous operation of the Public 
20 
Disclosure Program shall be included in the annual appropriation of the DOH. 
21 
SECTION 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or 
22 
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other 
23 
provisions hereof. 
4 


1 
SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, and issuances, or 
2 
portions thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby 
3 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
4 
SECTION ll. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
5 
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general 
6 
circulation. 
Approved, 
iaml2015 
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