Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday urged the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure that the new administrative order it is drafting on medical assistance would not only eliminate patronage politics as mandated by a provision in the 2026 budget, but also clearly lay down the process and requirements in receiving financial assistance.
Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said the DOH’s revision of the guidelines on the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Persons (MAIFIP) must ultimately ease the patients’ access to financial aid.
“The decision of the Senate and the House of Representatives is clear: there is no need to go door-to-door to beg for guarantee letters to gain medical attention,” Hontiveros said in Filipino. Rolando Ng III
“That is why I also expect that the DOH’s new guidelines on the MAIFIP will hasten access to the assistance and not worsen the problems of the patients and their families,” she added.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Hontiveros urges ‘clear’ DOH guidelines on MAIFIP aid”
