Or rather, the article that some people might hate me for writing…
UPDATE: This post, “The Problem of R.A. 9439″, is included in this week’s edition of Medical Grand Rounds, hosted by Dr. Emer, of Parallel Universes. Go visit his blog and see the posts of the other participants of the Grand Rounds about health staff concerns, reviews, interviews, news, and tales of patient encounters.
“We are all kept alive by the work of man’s mind - the individual minds that still retain the autonomy necessary to think and to judge. In medicine…the mind must be left free.”
— Leonard Peikoff, “Medicine: The Death of a Profession,” Voice of Reason, 306.
Republic Act 9439 or the Anti-Hospital Detention Law was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last April 27. Under this law, it would be:
…unlawful for any hospital or medical clinic to detain or to otherwise cause, directly or indirectly the detention of patients who have fully recovered or partially recovered or have been adequately attended to or who may have died, for reasons of nonpayment in part or in full of hospital bills or medical expenses. (http://www.gov.ph/news/?i=17643).
Patients who wanted to leave the hospital but aren’t capable of settling bills will now have the right to demand to be allowed to leave the hospital with corresponding medical certificate and pertinent discharge papers upon execution of a promissory note covering the unpaid obligation.
The law was said to be not applicable to those who stayed in private rooms.
While it may seem that this law could help those who’re in need of medical care yet lack the finances, in turn, it actually directly transfers the burden of the unpaid expenses upon those who privately-own hospitals and indirectly to the hospital employees and other patrons of the hospital who diligently pay their bills. It is doubtful that the government will subsidize any of these unpaid expenses because it cannot even take care of its own government hospitals.
Read more of this entry in my health blog.
September 5th, 2007 at 4:03
this willjust worsen thehealth situation of the country. The reason that poor people go to private hospitals is because government hospitals suck and are too far or to few from human civilization where most of the diseases thrive. The solution isnot this. to improve the healthcare system ang dapat solution. asar talaga yang si gloria, puro domino effect ang ginagawa
September 5th, 2007 at 4:05
BTW ganda bago ayos ng bahay mo dra ah. hehe nice job.
September 5th, 2007 at 9:37
Eh…. happy birthday anyway, ha ha ha!
September 5th, 2007 at 9:45
… just wanted to wish you a happy birthday.
September 5th, 2007 at 11:06
*singing
Happy Birthday to you 2x
Happy Birthday 2x
Happy Birthday to you
Wee! happy birthday!
@bluepanjeet: hey kuya, musta?
September 5th, 2007 at 11:22
Doc Tess: First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Thanks for bringing up the issue regarding RA 9439. I agree with you, it’s neither pro-poor nor anti-poor. It’s a really complicated situation that poverty poses on society, but there’s no easy way out on this. If I were in the shoes of the poor person who wrote the promisory note, I’ll really run away from paying the bill! Hehe. It’s so hard to find the right solution…
Anyway, I don’t know why some people think that there are institutions or individuals who have bottomless reserves of funds. Whenever I shell out money to contribute to an NGO, it really hurts my pocket. Yes, there’s a need for social responsibility but even good will has a price tag.
bluepanjeet: I’m not exacly pro-GMA but I think it’s a bit unfair to blame the president alone. It’s not easy to run a country. The president is not, uhhh, Big brother.
September 5th, 2007 at 16:34
Elmo hehehe. Aus.!!
Frances, I understand. I agree it’s unfair. But isn’t she the one who signed the Act? as a president, she should think twice or thrice of the consequences of this act brings. Of course she has so many advisers but hey, it’s her name that’s in the RA. I mean, I wouldnt sign my name if I’m not ready for it’s consequences. She has the power to veto it actually. I don’t want to blame her but I don’t want to blame others either coz it’s she who signed it not me or everybody hehehe. Ewan nga ba Ces, parang lahat na ata ng batas dito sa atin palpak.
Doc happy bday ulit
September 5th, 2007 at 18:21
hindi kaya magiging rason lalo ‘yan para hindi i-admit ang pasyente kung walang ipapakitang pera?…hmmm.
anyway, happy birthday! article
September 5th, 2007 at 21:14
to bluepanjeet:
The annoying thing is that only band-aid solutions are made. Something that can be put on temporarily but does not actually heal the wound. If only the government would increase the funds for healthcare. But the government wouldn’t do that because medical care in the Philippines isn’t something that can be treated as a business venture. How can some crooked politicians profit from it?
September 5th, 2007 at 21:16
to bluepanjeet: (again, hehe)
Salamat! I wanted a cleaner, white layout but, at the same time, some touches of pink. This works well for me.
September 5th, 2007 at 21:29
to Arbet:
Thanks! Ang lungkot nga lang ng article no?
Actually, I had a different birthday article in mind, but then, I heard about this in the news. I thought that I really have to speak up.
So for the supposed birthday article, I might post it soon enough
September 5th, 2007 at 21:30
to fruityoaty:
Thanks so much!
September 5th, 2007 at 21:34
to JP:
Sana next time live singing na!
September 5th, 2007 at 21:39
to Frances:
Thanks for commenting and for the birthday greeting!
The problem is that some of these people think it’s only right that they don’t pay because they see hospitals as rich institutions whose thousands of pesos loss due to their non-payment would not affect it much. But put a hundred of these non-paying patients altogether and the hospital will be doomed to death.
The President is an easy target to blame because she’s the person leading the country. However, she doesn’t have all the powers nor does she have all the knowledge. But I just hope she’ll see the other side of this issue, the side that is being aired by PHAP, and make appropriate amendments.
September 5th, 2007 at 21:42
to kotsengkuba:
“hindi kaya magiging rason lalo ‘yan para hindi i-admit ang pasyente kung
walang ipapakitang pera?…hmmm.”
– that is, indeed, a possibility. Private Hospitals, of course, retain the right not to admit a certain patient. But this move will force these patients to go back to the already overcrowded government hospitals. Tsk, tsk. What is happening to this country? It cannot even manage the basic needs of its citizens.
September 5th, 2007 at 22:08
“But the government wouldn’t do that because medical care in the Philippines isn’t something that can be treated as a business venture.”
I would have to disagree with this. I personally think that there are some people/institutions that treat medical care as a very lucrative business venture. I think there are some hospitals that tend to overcharge.
But I think everyone here agrees that the provision quoted is not really a solution to any of our health care problems. It’s so prone to abuse. People might just suck the private hospitals dry. This is probably a move by the administration to gain a much-needed approval rating from the masses.
anyway, happy birthday doc!
September 5th, 2007 at 22:41
Maligayang kaarawan doc!
September 6th, 2007 at 9:35
to psychogoddess:
I don’t think private hospitals are overcharging. If you look quite closely, it’s hard to maintain a fully-functioning hospital 24/7. With all the personnel, the maintenance of machines, the laboratory, the electricity… health care that is also convenient does come with a price. And so are medical services which took years of learning and experience. We should acknowledge that.
While that some may say I’m being defensive of private hospitals because I have something to get out of it, I’d say that’s not true and it would be unfair to think of me so. But yes, I defend private hospitals because I’ve seen how much is necessary to keep it going. My dad has been in the hospital and we paid a huge sum for the bills but I never regretted any of it. Good service and good medicine.
What perhaps the problem is not the rising prices of goods but rather, our inability to afford these goods because we’re underpaid. I don’t think most people are being paid the right amount for their work, which in turn, makes them unable to afford their needs and wants.
Thanks for the birthday greeting!
September 6th, 2007 at 9:36
to jhay:
Salamat po ng marami!
February 13th, 2008 at 3:16
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