DOH eyes rollout of revised MAIFIP guidelines this month

The Department of Health (DOH) will continue implementing existing policies for its medical assistance program as it crafts new guidelines for this year, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said Wednesday.

Herbosa said the revised implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program will incorporate provisions under the proposed 2026 national budget that prohibit politicians from distributing cash and other forms of financial assistance.

The IRR is targeted to be completed by the end of the month or by February, he said.

“As of now, MAIFIP will be following the existing 2025 IRR. That will remain in effect until the 2026 version is finalized,” Herbosa said during a Palace briefing.

The MAIFIP program provides medical assistance to eligible indigent and financially incapacitated patients by covering expenses not included in the benefit packages of the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth), case rates, or other available funding sources.

Budget watchdogs have raised concerns over how Congress increased the MAIFIP allocation from the P24.2 billion proposed in the National Expenditure Program to more than P51 billion—more than double the original amount.

The program previously drew criticism for its reliance on guarantee letters (GLs) from politicians, a practice critics say promotes patronage politics.

These letters were typically issued by government officials such as senators and congressmen, pledging to shoulder the full or partial medical costs of qualified patients.

However, Herbosa clarified that under the revised MAIFIP guidelines, patients will no longer be required to secure GLs, as they will instead avail themselves of the zero-balance billing program in DOH hospitals. 

He said that while “anyone can issue a guarantee,” the party issuing it must pay for the cost, adding that private hospitals have the discretion to accept or reject such letters.

“That’s their decision. If they want to accept a guarantee letter from a politician, that’s up to them,” Herbosa said.

Lawmakers have inserted a special provision—Section 19—into the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which requires that all cash assistance and other forms of financial aid be distributed exclusively by authorized government officers and personnel or accredited partners.

The provision further prohibits elective officials, electoral candidates, politicians, political parties, or their representatives from influencing, participating in, or being present during the distribution of cash assistance and other forms of financial aid under government programs, including MAIFIP.

Excluded from the prohibition, however, are those with direct administrative and executive authority over the implementing agency.—MCG, GMA Integrated News