MANILA — At least three congressmen urged the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to help cover the doctors’ fees of indigent patients, noting that more doctors are refusing government guarantee letters as payment for their services.

Under the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients program, qualified patients may use a guarantee letter to settle their hospital bills.

“We put funds in every hospital, but ang problema pagdating sa hospital, ‘yung mga doktor, ayaw nilang i-cover, kasi mas gusto nila cash. Ayaw nila maghintay ng 30 days, 60 days. Pwede ba, kami na ‘yung bahala sa hospital, ‘yung DOH. Pwede ba ‘yung PCSO sila naman ang mag-PF (professional fee) ng mga doctors?” House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Elizaldy Co asked during PCSO’s budget briefing before the House panel on Tuesday.

“Increasingly, napapansin na ayaw pumayag ‘yung doctor na masakop sa MAIFP. Napapansin ko na ‘yung professional fees madalas mas malaki pa kumpara sa hospital bill. Minsan three times more than the hospital bill… Ano kaya ang pwedeng ambag ng PCSO sa pagbayad ng professional fees?” House Committee Senior Vice Chairperson Rep. Stella Quimbo also inquired.

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Baguio City Rep. Mark Go suggested that when PCSO issues a guarantee letter, it should not distinguish between professional and hospital fees.

PCSO officials are open to studying Go’s proposal, but are concerned over how the agency will fund both.

“If we will cover professional fees, malilimit ang aming capability to help. Supposedly kung ‘yung UHC (Universal Health Care) sana wala, baka pwede. Ibinigay na namin ang aming 40 percent sa UHC. So ang idea, kayo na ang magbayad noon,” PCSO General Manager Mel Robles said.

“Dapat you don’t distinguish anymore between professional fee and hospital fees. If you give P50,000, you don’t distinguish anymore,” Go told PCSO.

“We can study that. [It] makes sense naman. Kasi ‘yun din naman ang ilalabas. We will look into that,” Robles replied.

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CORPORATE CREDIT CARD

Co also proposed the use of a corporate credit card to expedite the payment process, in case the PCSO cannot give cash or check.

Robles expressed openness to the proposal.

“Gawin na lang natin… mag-issue ng corporate credit card na assigned ng PCSO sa hospital. So i-swipe na lang. So approved GL one day, 24 hours, i-swipe ang credit card. I-charge n’yo naman sa ospital ‘yung financing cost noon. So walang loss sa PCSO. So ‘yung sa professional fee lang kung ilan lang ang kayang budget. Hindi naman pwedeng P1 billion ang budget n’yo gagastos kayo ng P5 billion. So ibig sabihin ko, kapag naubos na ‘yun, tapos na. At least ginawa natin ‘yung better service, mas mabilis and na-solve natin ‘yung problema,” Co said.

“Baka pwede, we will explore that,” Robles replied.

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