LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—With a total budget of P286,895,375.51, the funds for the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP) and Financially Incapacitated Patients program is now available in all 14 government hospitals in Pangasinan.
Governor Ramon V. Guico III expressed optimism that the program will go a long way in providing the health needs of indigent patients in the province.
“ We were very blessed because congressman representative ng fifth district ang father ni governor (Congressman Ramon Guico, Jr.) ang nagbaba ng pondo ng MAIP mula sa kanyang MAIP funds papunta sa probinsya. And also with the help of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, it’s a total of P286million. Napakalaking halaga,” Hospital Management Services Office administrator Dalvie Casilang disclosed.
Dr. Casilang explains, there are two groups of beneficiaries to be catered by the program. “Una, ‘yong indigent. Second, ‘yong financially incapacitated patients,” he said as he elaborated that the second group are those patients who will not be assessed by their socio-economic status but on the status of medication they will be needing to include cancer patients and those with auto-immune disease.
MAIP is a national government program that aims to provide medical and financial assistance for patients seeking consultation, rehabilitation, examination or confinement in government hospitals.
In June 19 of this year, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) approved Provincial Resolution No. 527-2023 which authorized Governor Ramon V. Guico III to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Health Center for Health Development 1 (DOH CHD 1) for the implementation of the said program.
The breakdown of the fund for the government hospitals is as follows: Pangasinan Provincial Hospital, P93,159,000.00; Urdaneta District Hospital, P40,683,588.00; Bayambang District Hospital, P28,215,000.00; Western Pangasinan District Hospital, P22,374,000.00; Eastern Pangasinan District Hospital, P21,871,038.05; Lingayen District Hospital, P14,850,000.00; Mangatarem District Hospital, P14,355,000.00; Pozorrubio Community Hospital, P9,900,000.00; Mapandan Community Hospital, P6,930,000.00; Umingan Community Hospital, P6,930,000.00; Asingan Community Hospital, P6,930,000.00; Bolinao Community Hospital, P6,930,000.00; Dasol Community Hospital, P6,930,000.00; and, Manaoag Community Hospital, P6,837,749.46.
Based on DOH Administrative Order No. 2020-0060 which was amended last March 30 of this year, MAIP program fund shall cover essential and life-saving medicines, services and other medical products as prescribed by a licensed physician or health professional. Indigent patients are the primary recipients of the program.
Indigent patients are those who have no visible means of income or whose income is insufficient for family subsistence as identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) based on specific criteria.
In the amended AO, however, the definition of the term ‘financially incapacitated patients’ was included.
As such, this refers to “a patient who is not classified as indigent but demonstrates inability to pay or spend for necessary expenditures for one’s medical treatment such as but not limited to patients with catastrophic illness or any illness, which is life or limb-threatening and requires prolonged hospitalization, extremely expensive or other special but essential care that would deplete one’s financial resources, as assessed and certified by the medical social worker,” the amended AO stated.
To avail of the program, patients who are admitted to the hospital should seek the assistance of a social worker.
Documentary requirements to be presented by the in patients include: guarantee letter, certificate of indigency, any valid ID, point of service assessment slip, clinical/medical abstract certificate and statement of account/final bill.
Outpatients, on the other hand, need to submit the following: guarantee letter, certificate of indigency, any valid ID, point of service assessment slip, prescription duly signed by the physician, and laboratory/radiology request.
(Ruby R. Bernardino/Pangasinan PIO)
