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SeMi? 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'13 
JUl 29 
1\ 9 :05 
'IV. 
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SENATE 
S. No. 
1131 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "SONNY" F. Trillanes IV 
Explanatory Note 
Every day there are 12 Filipino women who die from cervical cancer. In 2007, this number was 
10. Because cervical cancer is often detected in its late stages, the mortality rate is high. 
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the Philippines, cervical cancer ranks as 
the 2nd most common cancer in women between the ages of 15-44, next to breast cancerl. This 
is mainly due to late detection and lack of awareness of the disease among Filipino women. As 
with all cancers in developing countries, cervical cancer is usually diagnosed at an advanced 
stage. This is in part because of the paucity of effective screening programs. 
It is in this light that this bill seeks to create a breast and cervical cancer diagnostic and treatment 
fund which shall provide financial assistance for the medical care of indigent patients. The bill 
provides for the composition and administration of the fund, the covered services, eligibility of 
patients, and the dispersement of funds. It is hoped that this measure would alleviate the struggle 
of women and their families who have to cope with the life threatening disease. Moreover, as a 
proactive measure, it seeks to encourage women to undergo -screening to protect them from the-
same. 
In view of the foregoing, approval of this measure is earnestly sought. 
"SONNY' F. TRILLANES IV 
Senator 
1 Data retrieved from http:Uwww.rappler.com/move-ph/20499-cervical-cancer-the-challenge-of-prevention on 25 
June 2013 
1 


~~~ ~-- ~-------------------
j,E'lllltl' 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
(P~thft t,f H!4' 
fbr~ 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'13 
JUL 29 
J.\ 9 :05 
SENATE 
HEe' , 
1131 
S.No. ___ _ 
Introduced by Senator Antonio "SONNY" F. Trillanes N 
AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A NATIONAL CERVICAL CANCER OIAGNOSTIC AND 
TREATMENT FUND 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House o(Representatives a/the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "National Cervical Cancer 
2 
Diagnostic and Treatment Fund Progrant " 
3 
4 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to protect and promote the 
5 
right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. 
6 
7 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this article: 
8 
1. "Fund" means the breast and cervical cancer diagnostic and treatment fund; 
9 
2. "Qualified applicant" means a female who meets the financial and medical eligibility 
10 
guidelines of this Act pursuant to Article 5 hereof, and; 
11 
3. "Provider" means a physician, hospital or medical provider currently licensed under 
12 
the state. 
13 
14 
SEC. 4. Establishment of Cervical Cancer Diagnostic and Treatment Fund. - There is 
15 
hereby established a cervical cancer diagnostic and treatment fund which shal1 provide financial 
16 
assistance for the medical care of indigent patients for diagnostic and treatment services for 
17 
breast and cervical cancer. 
1 


The fund shall be comprised of money appropriated to the fund by the Legislature, 
2 
allocated to the fund by the national government and all other sums designated for deposit in the 
3 
fund from any source, public or private. 
4 
The fund shall be administered by the University of the Philippines - Department of 
5 
Health Cervical Cancer Screening Research Group (hereinafter referred to as the UP-DOH 
6 
CCSRG). 
7 
8 
SEC. S. Covered Services. - The Secretary of the DOH shall appoint a committee of four 
9 
physicians from the UP-DOH CCSRG to promulgate the rules and regulations for the 
10 
administration of the fund. 
II 
The committee shall include one physician whose specialty is gynecological oncology, 
12 
one physician whose specialty is surgery, one physician whose specialty is radiology and one 
13 
physician whose specialty is pathology. 
14 
Responsibilities of the committee include, but are not limited to, the following: 
15 
I. Establishing a list of covered services approved for payment through the fund. -
16 
Covered services include diagnostic and treatment services for cervical cancer or a 
17 
condition suggestive of cancer. An ancillary diagnostic study may be authorized only 
18 
when it is determined by the UP-DOH CCSRG to be directly related to the confirmation 
19 
of a diagnosis of cancer or is necessary for treatment planning; 
20 
2. Setting a limitation on days of service covered by the fond. - The PGH shall authorize 
21 
the number of days for reimbursement based on the medical condition of the patient and 
22 
the procedure to be performed; and 
23 
3. 
Reviewing requests and providing authorization for payment of diagnostic or 
24 
treatment services covered by the fund. 
25 
26 
SEC. 6. Patient Eligibility. - To be eligible for assistance in payment of services under 
27 
the fund, the following conditions shall be met: 
28 
29 
I. 
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 


I 
2 
3 
4 
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 
(NCSB); and 
3. 
The patient has a condition clinically indicative of cancer that requires diagnostic 
5 
services to confirm the preliminary diagnosis and only those services determined to be 
6 
medically necessary for that diagnostic confirmation may be authorized by the committee 
7 
for payment from the fund; or 
8 
4. 
The patient has received diagnostic confirmation through a positive pathology report 
9 
and is requesting payment of treatment services by the fund. 
10 
I I 
SEC. 7. Application Process. - The PGH shall develop authorization request forms and 
12 
make the forms available to the provider upon request. 
13 
An application for inpatient diagnostic services shall be accompanied by a written, signed 
14 
statement from the attending physician which includes the medical basis for required inpatient 
15 
services and explains why the services may not be performed on an outpatient basis. 
16 
17 
SEC. 8. Reimbursement Process. - The fund is the payor of last resort. Payment for 
18 
procedures shall be made at the current rate established by PhilHealth. 
19 
A claim for authorized services rendered shall be processed in accordance with rules 
20 
promulgated by the UP-DOH CCSRG. 
Approved, 
3