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Republic of the Philippines fi
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
‘Quezon City
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 3

Third Regular Session
Oe
House BiLLNo,__6'728

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The next time a poor individual goes to a public hospital, medical center or
‘sanitarium, he or she does not have to be surprised that the hospital or medical center or
‘sanitarium will only demand from him or her how much he or she can pay.

This “pay-what-you-can” shall be the new policy of government in order to
actually assess more objectively how well any public hospital, medical center or
sanitarium has performed to the optimum on its mandate of health care delivery.

Thus, this bill envisions that special hospitals, regional hospitals, medical centers
and sanitaria should implement this “pay-what-you-can policy" so that poor patients do
not have to worry about their treatment, confinement or hospitalization, and healing from
their illnesses. These are the following:

. Amang Rodriguez Medical Center

Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital

. East Avenue Medical Center

Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center
National Center for Mental Health
National Children’s Hospital
Philippine Orthopedic Center

. Quirino Memorial Medical Center
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
10. Rizal Medical Center

41. San Lazaro Hospital

12. Tondo Medical Center

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In addition to abovementioned list, the following shall also implement this “pay-
what-you-can” policy, namely:

. Lung Center of the Philippines

National Kidney and Transplant Institute

Philippine Children’s Medical Center

Philippine Heart Center

Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care

AaENS


The whole rationale of this piece of legislative measure is anchored on the view
that the proposal while it sounds novel or bold is actually just a simple mechanism of
check and balance.

It is interesting to note that all the aforementioned hospitals, medical centers or
institutes enjoy government subsidies for them to carry out their mandated service
elated programs, projects or activities to the extent that they are even receiving
donations from various donor institutions.

And another part of this check-and-balance mechanism is to check and count
how much in guaranty letters from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office go into the
budgetary, fiscal and management affairs of each of these dical centers,
institutes or sanitaria such that their appropriated
translated into savings. In other words, it is time toeparate from apparel fiscal
mismanagement the ‘grain from the chaff’ so that govefnment could support then\ even
more effectively in the overall health care delivery.

The immediate passage of this bill is mq
‘submission.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
Third Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No.__ 6726

Introduced by Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo

AN ACT
INSURING THAT GOVERNMENT SPECIAL HOSPITALS, MEDICAL CENTERS,
INSTITUTES OR SANITARIA EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENT “PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN
POLICY” FOR POOR PATIENTS FOR THEIR TREATMENT, CONFINEMENT OR
HOSPITALIZATION, AND HEALING AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN HOSPITAL
ENTITLEMENT POLICY ACT OF 2012".

SEC. 2. Every poor patient seeking diagnosis, treatment and cure from disease
or illness shall be entitled to the policy of a government special hospital, medical center,
institute or sanitarium duly authorized to implement the new “pay-what-you-can” policy.

SEC. 3. Under this Act, the Department of Health in collaboration with the
concerned hospital, medical center, institute or sanitarium as well as with the Philippine
Charity Sweepstakes Office shall issue appropriate rules, regulations and guidelines to
effectively implement this “pay-what-you-can policy’ as an entitlement of poor patients.

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect sixty (60) days upon its publication in the
Official Gazette and in at least three (3) newspapers of general circulation

Approved,