Question & AnswerQ&A (DOH ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 171, S. 2004)
The main objective is to provide policies and guidelines to implement the relevant provisions of Republic Act 9257, otherwise known as the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003, ensuring fair, just, and quality healthcare and discounts for senior citizens in the Philippines.
All hospitals and health-related facilities from government and private sectors, healthcare professionals, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, drug stores, hospital pharmacies, and similar establishments dispensing medicines.
Medicines refer to both prescription and non-prescription medicines and articles approved by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD), for diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, and prevention of disease or injury, excluding food and devices or their components.
Medical Services include hospital room and services, medical supplies, professional services of physicians and other healthcare professionals, and diagnostic and laboratory tests necessary for diagnosis and/or treatment of illness or injury.
Senior citizens confined in service wards of government facilities are granted free medical and dental services, and diagnostic and laboratory fees for services that are medically necessary in accordance with clinical practice guidelines or hospital treatment protocols.
Senior citizens are granted a twenty percent (20%) discount on medical and dental services, diagnostic and laboratory fees, including professional fees of attending doctors.
No, discounts are not granted for services not medically necessary for treatment and diagnosis, such as cosmetic surgeries, executive check-up packages, physical examinations without clinical evidence of effectiveness, special reagents, dyes, contrast media, and radioactive isotopes.
Requirements include a senior citizen's valid identification document, a doctor's prescription with detailed information, a purchase booklet issued by the OSCA, and if applicable, an authorization letter and ID of a representative.
Government facilities are required to post these rates conspicuously at their main entrance and submit them annually to the National Center for Health Facility Development-DOH and PHIC; private hospitals must post room rates in the admitting section and provide pricing information on request.
Persons face fines from P50,000 to P200,000 and imprisonment from six months to six years depending on violation frequency; penalties for abusers include fines and imprisonment; aliens may be deported after sentence. Corporations' officials involved may face related penalties, including cancellation of business permits.