House panel OKs bill institutionalizing Malasakit Center

The House Committee on Health on Wednesday approved the substitute bill to the measures seeking to establish the Malasakit Program and institutionalize Malasakit Centers in hospitals.

During its meeting, the committee approved the still unnumbered substitute bill, or the proposed "Malasakit Program Act," complementing the objectives of the Universal Healthcare Law.

The Malasakit Center, the brainchild of Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, serves as a one-stop shop to serve patients in need of financial assistance not covered by PhilHealth benefits.

House health panel tackles bills institutionalizing Malasakit Centers @gmanews pic.twitter.com/v54HnznVjs

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) September 18, 2019

At least 35 Malasakit Centers have been opened in various hospitals in the country.

Under the substitute bill, the Malasakit Program will be established which will provide a policy framework to push for a "people-centered management that uphold compassion and empathy" and "ensure and promote an organizational culture geared towards safety, quality and responsiveness."

At the same time, the program will ensure to lessen the financial burden of incapacitated patients through "streamlined financial and medical assistance."

The measure will also institutionalize Malasakit Centers in all the retained hospitals of the Department of Health to fulfill the objectives of the Malasakit Program.

Aside from being a one-stop shop, the Malasakit Center also provides patient navigation and referral in receiving hospital services and medical and financial assistance.

Medical assistance covered under the bill include medical services not covered or paid for by PhilHealth or other financing sources, and will be used for:

• Laboratory, imaging and all other diagnostic procedures
• Drugs and medicines
• Supplies, orthopedic and assistive devices, prosthesis, blood and blood products,
• Dental services, except those that are for aesthetic purpose and not medically indicated
• Medical and surgical procedures
• Prescribed post hospitalization rehabilitation services, aftercare program, appropriate mental and psychological support, including those done on an outpatient basis
• All hospital bills including professional fees, and
• All other medical, health, documentary and related services billed by the hospital.

Recently, Albay Representative Edcel Lagman criticized the Malasakit Centers, saying that these had been used as partisan fronts.

He said Malasakit Centers are not “one-stop” shops for post-confinement financial assistance but merely referral outlets to the main local offices of participating government agencies.

He added that patients availing services from Malasakit Centers also have to wait in long queues “because the representatives in the centers do not have the authority nor discretion to make assessments either for partial or full payment of hospital bill balances.”

Go defended the creation of his brainchild, saying the Malasakit Center was meant to help the poor and not the politicians who want to have a better public image.

"Prangkahin ko na rin po kayo, your image is beyond repair. Hindi po ikakaayos ng pagmumukha ninyo ang pagkontra ninyo sa interes ng mga Pilipino," he said.

Lagman hit back at Go, saying the senator wasted his first privilege speech which he should have used to promote his causes rather than take a swipe at those who criticize the Malasakit Centers. —KG, GMA News