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Medical Care in the Provinces
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In the provinces of the Philippines, away from major cities, can medical facilities deny care because someone is too poor to pay for what is needed?
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It is illegal to refuse medical care from a hospital even though you don’t have money to pay. In August 3, 2017, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, signed into law, increasing the penalties for the refusal of hospitals and clinics to administer appropriate initial medical treatment in emergency or serious cases. Republic Act No. 10932, otherwise known as the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law provides that “in emergency or serious cases, it shall be unlawful for any hospital or medical clinic to request, solicit, demand or accept any deposit or any other form of advance payment as prerequisite for administering basic emergency care, for confinement or medical treatment, or to refuse to administer medical treatment and support to any patient.” Under this new law, any official, medical practitioner or employee of the hospital or medical clinic who violates the provisions of this Act shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than six (6) months and one (1) day but not more than two (2) years and four (4) months, or a fine of not less than P100,000.00 but not more than P300,000.00 or both. Higher penalties of imprisonment of four (4) to six (6) years, or a fine of not less than P500,000.00 but not more than one million pesos, or both, are imposed upon directors or officers of hospitals or clinics responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies or instructions violative of this Act. Three (3) repeated violations, added RA 10932, shall result in the revocation of the health facility’s license to operate by the Department of Health (DOH).