Senator Win Gatchalian is proposing to move some of the proposed P49 billion for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) to expand the government’s zero-balance billing program. 

“It pains me to see some people, mga constituents natin, na pumipila sa mga opisina ng politiko. We are putting the decision-making power on life and death in the hands of the politicians, which is not the right thing to do because the system should help our constituents,” said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.

“Ilagay na lang natin sa zero-balance billing program ang MAIFIP. We should reform our Universal Healthcare to ensure access to quality health services for all Filipinos without financial hardship,” he added. 

The Senate finance panel also maintained that the zero-balance billing program and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) should be enough to help patients in public hospitals.

Gatchalian emphasized, however, the need to expand public hospitals’ absorptive capacity. He previously noted that several public hospitals have already exceeded their bed capacity.  With the government implementing a zero-balance billing program, he warned that the current occupancy rate will go higher.