Declaration of Policies
- Improve healthcare delivery and access to medical and financial assistance.
- Adopt a multi-sectoral, streamlined approach reflecting Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.
- Ensure patients receive compassionate, respectful treatment.
- Provide medical and financial assistance via one-stop shops.
Definitions
- DOH Hospital: Hospitals managed by DOH, including four corporate hospitals.
- Financial Assistance: Monetary aid covering burial, transportation, food, clothing, assistive devices, etc.
- Financially Incapacitated Patient: Non-indigent who cannot pay necessary medical expenses for catastrophic or expensive illnesses.
- Indigent Patient: Has no or insufficient income for subsistence as assessed by social workers.
- Medical Assistance: Aid covering out-of-pocket expenses for prescribed drugs, tests, and services.
- One-Stop Shop: Location designated to process medical and financial assistance requests.
- Out-of-pocket expense: Medical/surgical costs not covered by PhilHealth or other insurance.
- Patient Navigation: Assistance to obtain health services and overcome barriers.
- Philippine General Hospital (PGH): The state tertiary hospital run by the University of the Philippines-Manila.
Malasakit Program
- DOH to establish the Malasakit Program for all DOH hospitals and PGH.
- Objectives:
- Promote patient-centered, responsive organizational culture.
- Ensure appropriate infrastructure, processes, and patient engagement.
- Ensure financial risk protection and alleviate burden of indigent and financially incapacitated patients.
- Inclusion of other public hospitals and private facilities based on medical social worker assessment.
- Policy direction to be provided in consultation with DSWD, PCSO, and PhilHealth.
Malasakit Program Office
- Established within the DOH by augmenting the existing Public Assistance Unit.
- Oversees Malasakit Centers operations.
- Staffing and plantillas to be ensured by DOH and DBM coordination.
Malasakit Centers
- Established in all DOH hospitals and PGH.
- Functions include:
- One-stop shop for medical/financial assistance.
- Patient navigation and referrals.
- Information on National Health Insurance Program.
- Data documentation and use to improve services.
- Capacity-building and performance evaluation.
- Health promotion.
- Special lanes for senior citizens and PWDs.
- Centers must be non-partisan, free, convenient, accessible with standard procedures.
- LGUs, SUCs, DND, DILG including PNP, DOJ, other public hospitals may establish centers if standards are met.
Administration of Malasakit Centers
- Medical Director/Chief of Hospital is the Malasakit Center Director.
- Responsibilities:
- Provide appropriate space and equipment.
- Promote coordination among participating agencies.
- Other necessary functions.
- Assign Medical Social Work Office Head as Operations Manager.
- No extra compensation for these roles.
Personnel Complement
- Adequate staffing with medical social workers and support staff.
- Representatives from DOH, DSWD, PCSO, and PhilHealth in each center.
- Authority to create plantilla positions coordinated with DBM, CSC, and GCG.
- Budget appropriations included in General Appropriations Act.
Medical and Financial Assistance
- Facilitation of assistance from:
- DOH medical assistance.
- DSWD financial assistance (AICS guidelines).
- PCSO medical assistance.
- Programs from other agencies, LGUs, NGOs, private institutions.
- Medical social worker assesses eligibility and provides full information.
- Assistance available even if patients are admitted in LGU or other public hospitals.
- DOH hospitals may contract DOH-accredited private facilities if resources unavailable.
- Patients may also request assistance directly from agencies.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- DOH to monitor responsiveness and conduct client satisfaction surveys.
- Indicators: reduced waiting time, service percentages, complaint resolution, etc.
Penal Provisions
- Public officials/employees who commit unethical/fraudulent acts or misappropriate Malasakit funds face suspension, dismissal, fines, and criminal charges.
- Fraud or misrepresentation by applicants results in void assistance, double repayment, and imprisonment.
- Aiders/abetters face imprisonment.
Annual Report
- DOH, DSWD, PCSO, and PhilHealth to submit yearly implementation reports to the President and relevant Congressional Committees.
Appropriations
- Funding included in General Appropriations Act.
- Medical assistance funds earmarked under National Internal Revenue Code allocated for DOH and PGH hospitals.
- Public hospitals without centers continue receiving assistance from DOH.
Implementing Rules and Regulations
- DOH, PhilHealth, DSWD, and PCSO to issue joint IRR within 90 days of enactment.
Separability Clause
- Unconstitutional provisions do not nullify the entire Act if remaining provisions can stand alone.
Repealing Clause
- Laws inconsistent with this Act are repealed or modified.
Effectivity
- The Act takes effect 15 days after publication in Official Gazette or newspaper of general circulation.