TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
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25 JUL 10 P4 o8
S. B. No.
SENATE
409
RVi
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE "BONG" T. GO
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO INDIGENT AND 
FINANCIALLY INCAPACITATED PATIENTS PROGRAM UNDER THE 
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, aims to ensure 
that all Filipinos have equitable access to quality and affordable health care while 
providing financial protection. In line with this, Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit 
Centers Act was passed to adopt a multi-sectoral and streamlined approach in 
providing medical and financial assistance to indigent and financially incapacitated 
patients.
The benefits under the UHC rely on health benefit packages under the National 
Health Insurance Program managed by Philhealth. As such, out-of-pocket 
expenditures may still arise if the benefit packages are not enough to cover the 
medical needs of patients. To address this, the Department of Health continues to 
implement a medical assistance program that would cover out-of-pocket expenditures 
of qualified patients. While this program is available in DOH hospitals and other public 
health facilities with established Malasakit Centers, there is a need to institutionalize 
the program to ensure its continuing availability to other health facilities, both public 
and private.


This proposed measure seeks to institutionalize the Medical Assistance to 
Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients to reduce, if not eliminate, out-of- 
pocket expenditures of indigent and poor patients. This way the State can make 
medical assistance more accessible to all Filipino patients needing assistance.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
SENATOR CHRISTOPHER
RENCE "BONG" T. GO


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
25 JUL 10 P4 :38
SENATE
S. B. No. '^09
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE "BONG" T. GO
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO INDIGENT AND 
FINANCIALLY INCAPACITATED PATIENTS PROGRAM UNDER THE 
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES
Se It enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Medical Assistance 
to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients Act of 2025."
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the declared policy of the State to improve 
the delivery of health care services to the people, and to ensure financial assistance 
for hospital and medical expenses are available and accessible to the people.
SEC. 3. Medical Assistance Program. - The Department of Health shall 
establish a Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients 
(MAIFIP) Program that shall provide medical assistance to support clinically-indicated 
needs prescribed by a physician or health professional for indigent and financially 
incapacitated in-patients and out-patients. This assistance applies to expenses 
exceeding the applicable PhilHealth benefit packages, case rates, or other available 
funding sources.
The MAIFIP program shall continue to be available and accessible in Malasakit 
Centers as provided under Republic Act No. 11463 otherwise known as the "Malasakit


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Centers Act. Malasakit Centers shall continue to facilitate the provision of medical 
assistance under the MAIFIP program in all DOH hospitals and other public hospitals 
with established Malasakit Centers.
The MAIFIP program shall also be made available in LGU hospitals, and other 
health facilities, both private and public, such as, but not limited to, other hospitals 
not operated by the DOFI, clinical laboratories and primary care facilities, dental clinics, 
and free-standing dialysis clinics.
SEC. 4. Qualified beneficiaries. - The following shall be qualified as 
beneficiaries of the MAIFIP Program:
(a) Indigent patient — refers to a Filipino patient who has no visible means of 
income or whose income is insufficient for the subsistence of their family as 
assessed by the medical social worker of the health facility; and
(b) Financially incapacitated patient — refers to a Filipino patient who is not 
classified as indigent but who demonstrates a clear inability to pay or spend 
for necessary expenditures for their respective medical treatment such as, 
but not limited to, a patient with catastrophic illness or illnesses which are 
life or limb-threatening and require prolonged hospitalization, illnesses that 
require extremely expensive treatments, or other special but essential care 
that would deplete one's financial resources, as assessed and certified by 
the Medical Social Worker (MSW) of the health facility.
Patients availing of medical assistance or their authorized representative/s 
through the MAIFIP Program in DOH hospitals, other government hospitals and private 
hospitals shall present documents and undergo proper assessment and evaluation by 
the MSW or their designated officer. Referrals may also be issued by the DOH Central 
Office and/or DOH Centers for Health Development (CHDs), subject to the standard 
screening and evaluation process conducted by the health facility's MSW.
The registered MSW of the health facility shall assess the eligibility of patients 
appiying for medical assistance based on their existing assessment standards. Health 
facilities shall judiciously enforce a thorough screening of beneficiaries to ensure the 
efficient and rational use of funds, diligent documentation, and data encoding through 
the information system designated by the DOH.


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SEC. 5. Service Coverage. - The MAIFIP Program funds shall cover medicines, 
services, and other medical products as prescribed by a licensed physician or health 
professional, such as, but not limited to, the following:
(a) Drugs and medicines as approved by the Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA);
(b) Laboratory, imaging, radiological, and other diagnostic procedures, 
including assessment/readers' fees;
(c) Blood and other related blood screening/products
(d) Clinically indicated medical-surgical cases, obstetrics-gynecological cases 
considered as high-risk: cases requiring implants, medical devices, and 
supplies, and other relevant procedures;
(e) Clinically indicated dental cases, including routine preventive oral care, 
subject to the guidelines issued by the DOH;
(f) Dialysis sessions exceeding the coverage and package rates provided by 
PhilHealth;
(g) Prescribed post-hospitalization, rehabilitation services, aftercare program, 
and appropriate mental and psychosocial support;
(h) All hospital bills/charges after all applicable and available deductions; and
(i) Professional fees (PF), subject to the guidelines issued by the DOH.
SEC. 6. Program Management. - The Malasakit Program Office (MPO) created 
under R.A. 11463 shall be responsible for the overall management and administration 
of the MAIFIP Program. The MPO shall establish linkages and networks with health 
facilities through the Malasakit Program Unit (MPU) in CHDs and Ministry of Health 
(MOH)-BARMM to provide efficient coordination necessary for MAIFIP Program 
implementation.
SEC. 7. Order of Charging. - The DOH shall establish an order of charging for 
available government and private assistance. Hospitals and other partner health 
facilities shall ensure that double charging of medical assistance funds is strictly 
avoided.


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SEC. 8. Downloading of funds. - The DOH shall ensure that the MAIFIP 
Program funds appropriated under the annual General Appropriations Act shall be 
available in all DOH hospitals and specialty hospitals at the beginning of every fiscal 
year and replenish such funds as necessary to ensure continuous and uninterrupted 
assistance to patients through the MAIFIP program. Funds shall also be made available 
in all public hospitals with established Malasakit Centers.
The DOH, through its CHDs, shall enter into a Memorandum of Agreement 
(MOA) with LGU hospitals, and other health facilities, both private and public, such as, 
but not limited to, other hospitals not operated by the DOH, clinical laboratories and 
primary care facilities, dental clinics, and free-standing dialysis clinics for the 
availability of the MAIFIP program in the health facility.
The DOH, through its CHDs, shall transfer funds to LGU hospitals, and other 
aforementioned health facilities, both private and public, through a MOA between the 
health facility and the DOH.
SEC. 9. Payment mechanism. - All health facilities under the MAIFIP program 
shall receive and accept letters of guarantee from the DOH as payment for the medical 
expenses of the beneficiaries: Provided, That, the DOH shall remit payment to the 
health facility to cover the amount of the issued letter of guarantee not later than 
fifteen (15) days from the receipt of such letter of guarantee.
SEC. 10. Monitoring and reporting. - All health facilities under the MAIFIP 
program shall submit their respective monthly Fund Utilization Reports (FURs) to the 
DOH.
The DOH shall submit to the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, 
and the House of Representatives Committee on Health on or before the end of 
December of every year, or upon the request of any of the aforesaid offices, a report 
giving a detailed account of the status of the implementation of this Act.
SEC 11. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to implement the provisions 
of this Act shall be included in the budget of the Department of Health under the


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annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 12. Separability Clause. - Any portion or provision of this Act that is 
declared unconstitutional shall not have the effect of nullifying other portions or 
provisions hereof as long as such remaining portions can still subsist and be given 
effect in their entirety.
SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. - All laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, other 
issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act, are hereby repealed 
or modified accordingly.
SEC. 14. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette ov in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,