EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Third Regular Session 
)
SENATE 
S. No. 2334
2021 m
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
ENHANCING THE PATIENT'S RIGHT TO MEDICAL EXPENSE 
TRANSPARENCY AND PREVENTING UNEXPECTED MEDICAL BILLS, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
In 2019, the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law was signed into law. It 
guarantees equitable access to quality and affordable health care goods and services 
as well as protection against financial risk. UHC aims to decrease the out-of-pocket 
expenses of Filipino families, which means that not everything will be free, although 
the services will be more affordable.
Despite the existence of this law, the Philippine health care system still has not 
fully addressed its issue in the medical pricing aspect, such as transparency of medical 
expenses or bills. Among the medical expenses, out-of-pocket expenditures remain to 
be the major source of financing for medical care. According to the 2012 Family 
Income and Expenditure Survey, the out-of-pocket health expenditures increased by 
150% from 2000 to 2012. The same push Filipino households into poverty.
Further, most of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth)'s 
coverage and benefits, such as but not limited to room and board, professional 
healthcare services, diagnostic and other medical examination services, maternity 
care, use of surgical or medical equipment, and prescription drugs and biologicals, 
could easily be inflated without price transparency.


Thus, this bill seeks to prevent unexpected medical bills and inflated out-of- 
pocket expenses by (1) informing patients about actual prices, (2) requiring health 
care providers, health insurance issuers and self-insured group health plans to provide 
information about expected out-of-pocket costs, (3) increasing access to data to make 
healthcare information more transparent and useful to patients, (4) expanding the 
ability of consumers to choose healthcare plans, and (5) removing public barriers to 
price transparency in the healthcare sector.
In view of this, early passage of this bill is sought.
UEL”LITO" M. LAPID
Senator


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Third Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S. No.
2334
FILED
DATE
Introduced by Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid
AN ACT
ENHANCING THE PATIENT'S RIGHT TO MEDICAL EXPENSE 
TRANSPARENCY AND PREVENTING UNEXPECTED MEDICAL BILLS, AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shali be known as the "Medical Bill 
Transparency Act.
Section 2. Objective. - This Act shall aim to enhance the ability of patients to 
choose the healthcare that is best for them, by allowing them to make fully informed 
decisions about their healthcare, and the price and quality of a good or sen/ice in 
advance. It shall also be the objective of this Act to help prevent 'surprise billing' or 
patients receiving unexpected bills at inflated prices.
Section 3. Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State to ensure that patients 
are engaged with their healthcare decisions and have the information requisite for 
choosing the healthcare they want and need. The government shall aim to eliminate 
unnecessary barriers to price and quality transparency; to increase the availability of 
meaningful price and quality information for patients; to enhance patients' control 
over their own healthcare resources, including health insurance coverage; and to


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protect patients from surprise medical bills.
Section 4. Informing Patients about Actuai Prices. - Within sixty (60) days of 
the date of this Act, the Secretary of Health shall craft regulations consistent with 
applicable law, to require hospitals to publicly post standard charge information, 
including charges and information based on negotiated rates and for common or 
shoppable items and services, in an easy-to-understand, consumer-friendly, and 
machine-readable format using consensus-based data standards that will meaningfully 
inform patients' decision making and allow patients to compare prices across hospitals.
The regulation should require the posting of standard charge information for 
services, supplies, or fees billed by the hospital or provided by employees of the 
hospital. The regulation should also require hospitals to regularly update the posted 
information and establish a monitoring mechanism for the Secretary to ensure 
compliance with the posting requirement, as needed.
The regulation should also require the detailed itemization of actual medical
bills.
Section 5. Transparency in Heaith Insurance Coverage. - Within ninety (90) 
days of the date of this Act, the Secretaries of Health and Finance shall jointly issue 
regulations requiring healthcare providers, health insurance issuers, and self-insured 
group health plans to provide or facilitate access to information about expected out- 
of-pocket costs for items or services to patients before they receive care.
The Secretaries of Health and Finance shall, prior to the issuance of the 
regulation, issue an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, consistent with applicable 
law, soliciting comment on the proposal.
Section 6. Barriers to Heaith Transparency. - Within one hundred and eighty 
(180) days from the date of effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Health, in 
consultation with the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Finance, the


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Philippine Competition Commission, and other reievant agencies shall issue a report 
describing the manners in which government rules and practice, or the private sector, 
are impeding healthcare price and quality transparency for patients, and providing 
recommendations for eliminating these impediments in a way that promotes 
competition.
Section 7. Increasing Access to Data to Make Healthcare Information More 
Transparent and Useful to Patients. - Within one-hundred and eighty (180) days of 
the date of effectivity of this Act, the Secretary of Health, in consultation with relevant 
agencies, shall increase access to claims data from taxpayer-funded healthcare 
programs, including those of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, for 
researchers, innovators, providers, and entrepreneurs, in a manner that is consistent 
with applicable law and that ensures patient privacy and security.
Access to this data shall be provided in a manner that will facilitate the 
development of tools that empower patients to be better informed as they make 
decisions related to healthcare goods and services. Access to this data shall also be 
provided in a manner that will enable researchers and entrepreneurs to locate 
inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement, such as patterns of performance of 
medical procedures that are outside the recommended standards of care.
As part of this process, the Secretary of Health shall make a list of priority data 
sets that, if de-identified, could advance the policies set forth by this Act, and shall 
report to the President and to Congress on proposed plans for future release of these 
priority datasets and on any barriers to their release.
Section 8. Empowering Patients by Enhancing Control over Their Healthcare 
Resources. - Within one-hundred and twenty (120) days of the date of this Act,, the 
Secretary of Finance, to the extent consistent with law, shail issue guidance to expand 
the ability of patients to select health insurance plans that cover low-cost preventive 
care and/or medical care that helps maintain health status for individuals with chronic 
conditions.


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Section 9. Addressing Surprise Medicai Biiiing. - Within one-hundred and 
twenty (120) days of the date of this Act, the Secretary of Health shall submit a report 
to the President and to Congress on measures that can be taken to address surprise 
medical billing.
Section 10. Non-Impairment Clause. - Nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
impair or otherwise affect the authority granted by law to an executive department or 
agency, or the head thereof; or the functions of the Secretaries of Finance and Budget 
and Management relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
Furthermore, this Act shall be implemented consistent with applicable laws and 
subject to the availability of appropriations.
Section 11. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain 
in full force and effect.
Section 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly.
Section 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,