PCSO to shoulder fees of doctors treating indigent patients

LIMITED CAPACITY A number of patients lie on makeshift stretchers and beds while others wait for hours in a corridor improvised as an extension of PGH’s emergency ward. —RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has confirmed that it will start shouldering the professional fees (PFs) of doctors treating patients covered by Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients Program (MAIPP) by the end of October 2024.

In a press briefing on Wednesday at the Batasang Pambansa complex, PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles said they would include PFs in the medical assistance they provide to patients, which means it would be part of the guarantee letters issued by the office.

“As you know, Oct. 30 was just declared a National Charity Day and I think it will be most fitting to launch everything, including the ironing out of all the kinks…So on our part, PCSO intends to cover the professional fees of doctors,” Robles told reporters.

“While before, we only cover the hospitals, the room, and not all rooms were considered, but now we will cover the professional fees of doctors.  This is in accordance with the wish of our President (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.) which was relayed to us by the Speaker (Ferdinand Martin Romualdez) that as much as possible, Filipinos enjoy the government’s services,” he added.

For ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, the PCSO’s decision is a “breakthrough” because currently, doctor’s fees are not covered by the MAIPP, which is also not covered by the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation.

“With that and we have PhilHealth, indigent patients would almost be free from any expense because this is the problem — it is okay with government hospitals but in private institutions, hospitals, professional fee becomes a problem,” he added.

Romualdez, meanwhile, thanked the PCSO, Tulfo, and other lawmakers for facilitating the meeting.

“They addressed the concerns of our healthcare professionals, especially with the issue of professional fees which was not included in medical packages before,” he said.

“Many thanks to our GM Mel [Robles] and medical practitioners. Help is on the way and we can address issues in their professional fees. And we will also continue to look at other ways and means to make healthcare more accessible and universally acceptable and free to all our Filipino people,” he added.

Last Tuesday, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co asked the Department of Health to ensure that doctors are paid timely so that they would not refuse to treat patients covered by the MAIPP.

READ: Co urges DOH to pay doctors quickly so they won’t refuse poor patients

It was also Co who suggested last Aug. 7 that the PCSO shoulder the professional fees of doctors treating indigent patients, saying that it would be their contribution to the country’s healthcare system.

He proposed it as the committee on appropriations was discussing the PCSO’s contributions to the national budget.

READ: PCSO should shoulder doctors’ fee of poor patients, says lawmaker

Co said that if the PCSO would shoulder the PFs, it could also adopt a system for corporate credit cards for hospitals, where a hospital would just swipe a card so that fees can be credited to doctors who treat patients who are beneficiaries of the MAIPP.

“There’s no loss to PCSO, the professional fee, as to how much you can shoulder, you cannot spend P5 billion if your budget is only P1 billion. This means that if you have already exhausted your funds, it will end but at least we had a better brand of service by creating a faster and more efficient way of solving the problem,” he added.