DOH reiterates commitment to resolve unpaid balances, PHAPI suspends guarantee letters

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday reiterated its commitment to resolving unpaid balances with private hospitals as part of government policies.

PHAPI, representing private hospitals, announced it would suspend accepting guarantee letters from government officials due to PHP530 million in unpaid receivables under the MAIFIP program.

Albert Domingo, DOH spokesperson, noted that PhilHealth payments to hospitals are increasing and encouraged hospitals to review the Universal Health Care Act for better financial practices.

Domingo highlighted Singapore's approach of using endowment funds and medical social workers without guarantee letters to manage patient care.

Malacañang assured the public on Monday that the DOH has sufficient funds to address PHAPI's claims for services provided to indigent patients, citing issues with documentation in 39 Batangas hospitals.

With unpaid MAIFIP claims now exceeding PHP500 million, some private hospitals, particularly those in Batangas, have temporarily suspended accepting guarantee letters due to mounting financial pressure.

The DOH emphasized that its own hospitals do not require guarantee letters and rely on the assessment of medical social workers to determine patient eligibility for services.