The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said it will continue to reconcile payables to specific private hospitals in compliance with prevailing laws and government policies.

In a viber message, DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo said the process of reconciling unpaid balances is ongoing and being done in coordination with private hospitals.

Domingo made the statement in response to the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc.’s (PHAPI) announcement to temporarily suspend the acceptance of guarantee letters (GLs) from government officials, citing unpaid receivables under the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially-Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program.

Along with this, Domingo said the DOH “has been increasing the amounts the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) pays to hospitals.”

“This is a welcome development, to highlight that in the past few months…Payment through PhilHealth should be better than through the MAIFIP system,” he said.

Domingo cited that countries like Singapore have endowment funds that provide medical assistance without the need for guarantee letters, and medical social workers that provide a professional assessment of the patient’s situation.

“That is how we do it in DOH hospitals —guarantee letters are not needed,” he added.

Over the weekend, PHAPI president Jose Rene De Grano said the unpaid receivables under the MAIFIP program are around PHP530 million.

He disclosed that they have not received MAIFIP-processed guarantee letters for 43 private hospitals in Batangas. One of them has receivables as high as PHP94 million.

Hence, PHAPI will turn down all patients’ GLs issued by any government official.

Domingo advised that “it is best for all Philippine hospitals to review the Universal Health Care Act.”

“Always assess the paying capacity of patients and admit them to basic or ward accommodation for zero balance billing, or refer them to nearby DOH or government hospitals,” he said.

“The DOH, in its hospitals, does not use guarantee letters. It is only the DOH budget for the hospital, PhilHealth reimbursements, and if still needed, MAIFIP that is based on the professional assessment of a medical social worker. Just like in Singapore,” he added.

On Monday, Malacañang assured the public that the DOH has enough funds to settle the claims of PHAPI for services and treatments provided to indigent patients.

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said 39 hospitals in Batangas have GL processing issues due to incomplete or missing documentation per the DOH’s report. (PNA)