Law Summary
Declaration of Policy
- The State commits to protecting and promoting the right to health, recognizing unique needs of newborns and children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
- Emphasizes formulation of a comprehensive program for prevention, early detection, and diagnosis of congenital hearing loss based on research and consultations.
Establishment and Objectives of the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program (UNHSP)
- Institutionalizes measures for prevention and early diagnosis of hearing loss among newborns.
- Provides for referral follow-up, recall, early intervention services, counseling, and support for families.
- Objectives include ensuring universal access, policy development coordination, capacity building, database maintenance, linkage to early intervention, and development of public policy and effective screening models.
Definitions of Key Terms
- Clear definitions for terms like "audiologic diagnostic evaluation," "congenital hearing loss," "follow-up," "healthcare practitioner," "health institutions," "intervention," "newborn hearing screening database," "newborn," "newborn hearing loss screening," "Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center," "recall," "referral," and "UNHSP".
Obligation to Inform
- Healthcare practitioners must inform parents or legal guardians pre-delivery about the availability, nature, and benefits of hearing loss screening for newborns or infants up to three months old.
- Parents of newborns diagnosed with hearing loss must be informed about diagnostic, intervention, treatment options, and counseling.
- The Department of Health (DOH) is tasked with preparing and disseminating educational materials.
Obligation to Perform Screening and Diagnostic Evaluation
- All hospital-born infants must be screened before discharge unless parents object.
- Non-hospital births to be screened within three months.
- Positive screening results require timely audiologic diagnostic evaluation by DOH-certified centers, with follow-up and referrals before six months old.
- Shared responsibility between parents/legal guardians and healthcare practitioners.
- Provision of informational brochures and referral protocols for home births.
Refusal to Be Tested
- Parents/legal guardians may refuse screening on religious or cultural grounds but must provide a written acknowledgment of responsibility and risks.
- Such waiver becomes part of the newborn's medical record and the national database.
Continuing Education and Training for Health Personnel
- DOH, with assistance from NIH and others, shall conduct continuing education, training, and dissemination of informational materials for health practitioners.
Lead Agency and Coordination
- DOH is the lead agency implementing the Act.
- Responsible for coordination with various government agencies, private sector stakeholders, consumer groups, professional organizations, and others.
- Oversees certification, monitoring, policy development, and development of rehabilitation programs for deaf children.
Advisory Committee on Newborn Screening
- The existing Advisory Committee under the Newborn Screening Act is expanded to include representatives from otorhinolaryngology and audiology societies.
Establishment and Certification of Newborn Hearing Screening Centers
- Centers to conduct screening, diagnostic evaluation, recall, follow-up, and referrals shall be DOH-certified.
- Existing Newborn Screening Centers must develop capacity to become hearing screening centers.
- DOH to develop incentives for establishing additional centers.
Data Management and Applied Research
- Hospitals and centers must submit screening results to NIH Center for consolidation.
- NIH maintains national database and registry, reports annually to DOH.
- Development of long-term outcome evaluations and applied research programs.
- Research focuses on data quality, cost-effectiveness, causes, risk factors, effectiveness of programs, and data sharing.
Government Intervention on Newborn Hearing Loss
- Centers or barangay health workers must provide referrals to provincial hospitals for treatment.
- If provincial hospitals lack capability, referrals to DOH tertiary hospitals or other national hospitals are mandated.
- Funding for treatment comes from local government internal revenue allotments.
Newborn Screening Fees and Insurance Coverage
- Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) to include hearing loss screening costs in benefit packages.
- Coverage includes testing, registry, follow-up, reasonable overhead.
- Gradual inclusion of audiologic evaluation and intervention coverage.
- DOH reviews and approves fees, no charges for indigenous or accredited behavioral tests.
Funding
- The necessary funds for implementation are included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
Implementing Rules and Regulations
- DOH shall develop rules and regulations within 30 days of effectivity.
- Special protocol for the deaf and hearing impaired as part of implementation.
Repealing Clause
- All inconsistent laws, decrees, and regulations are repealed or modified accordingly.
Separability Clause
- Unconstitutional or invalid provisions do not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.
Effectivity
- The Act takes effect 15 days after publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation.