Bicameral panel approves P51-B budget for DOH medical aid program

A bicameral conference committee has approved a P51-billion budget for the Department of Health's (DOH) Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program for 2026.

This allocation is an increase from the Senate's proposed P29 billion and the P24.2 billion under the National Expenditure Program (NEP), but lower than the P41.16 billion allocated in 2025.

Critics and civil society groups expressed concerns that the program's reliance on guarantee letters from politicians could perpetuate patronage politics.

House Appropriations Committee chairperson Mika Suansing warned that the Senate's proposed cut would have affected an estimated 1.1 million patients.

The MAIFIP program provides financial assistance for medical expenses exceeding applicable PhilHealth benefit packages, case rates, or other available funding sources.

In 2024, the MAIFIP program faced implementation issues, including low fund utilization due to delayed releases and unliquidated transfers, with P3 billion left unspent.