DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa – Photo courtesy of Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Lawmakers will no longer have a hand in facilitating hospital assistance for poor patients under the 2026 national budget, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said, pointing to new restrictions aimed at keeping politics out of health services.
Speaking at Malacañang, Herbosa said indigent patients confined in Department of Health hospitals can already receive treatment without paying out of pocket, making guarantee letters from elected officials unnecessary.
He explained that the General Appropriations Act (GAA) expressly bars the use of such letters in government hospitals, particularly for assistance drawn from the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients program.
To enforce the provision, the DOH is preparing revised implementing rules for Maifip, expected to be released by February, in line with the so-called “anti-epal” safeguards in the new budget law.
The law limits the distribution of financial aid to authorized government personnel and accredited partners, while prohibiting politicians, candidates, and political groups from participating in or branding assistance activities.
Herbosa said patients remain free to approach their elected officials for help, but access to DOH-funded services no longer requires political endorsements or intermediaries.
MAIFIP was given a P51.6-billion allocation this year, higher than last year’s funding, even as health advocates continue to debate its role alongside PhilHealth and the Universal Health Care program.
