Palace: Health aid won't be coursed through pols

Malacanang yesterday gave assurance that the health assistance for poor patients, which has drawn flak for promoting political patronage, would not be coursed through politicians.

- By ALEXIS ROMERO

Critics have questioned the proposed funding hike for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) innext year’s national budget, saying it is not compatible with the aims of the Universal Health Care Act and places the needy at the mercy of politicians.

Sen. JV Ejercito has said the higher MAIFIP outlay “runs counter to the goal of strengthening systematic, universal coverage under the Universal Health Care Act.”

Critics, including economist Cielo Magno, lament that under the MAIFIP, one has to secure a guarantee letter from politicians before getting health assistance.

MAIFIP has been described as a health pork barrel.

But Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the assistance would instead be implemented by the Department of Health (DOH).

“This fund will not be coursed through politicians. It will go directly to the local government units, to the LGU hospitals and it will be implemented by the DOH,” the Palace press officer said at a press briefing.

It is unclear if local government executives such as mayors and provincial governors will be given a say in accessing MAIFIP. Many LGU officials are related to members of Congress.

The MAIFIP outlay has been augmented from P24.23 billion in the National Expenditure Program to P51.6 billion in the bicameral version of the national budget.

Castro said the DOH is seeking a higher budget for MAIFIP next year to implement the zero-balance billing policy in hospitals under local governments.

“There are hospitals that are not linked to DOH hospitals and the aim is to expand the services to the people through the zero-balance billing in LGU hospitals,” she added.

The administration’s zero-balance billing policy seeks to ensure that all eligible patients are discharged without paying any out-of-pocket expenses for services covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).