The Commission on Audit (COA) report on hospitals that failed to provide senior citizen discounts amounting to P535 million in 2022 is deeply concerning and appalling.
As a result, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) covered P113.1 million of the discounts, which were not deducted from the total hospital charges, including professional fees. The remaining P422.526 million was paid by other government agencies, such as local government units (LGUs), the Office of the President, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, who extended medical assistance to senior citizens.
Several factors might have contributed to this distressing situation:
Firstly, senior citizens may not be fully aware of the laws that protect them and the benefits they are entitled to, such as a 12 percent VAT exemption and a 20 percent discount on hospital bills and professional fees.
Secondly, hospital administration and staff, particularly those in accounting or cashier roles, may either be unaware or simply refuse to comply with granting the said discounts to senior citizens.
Lastly, if senior citizens do not voice their concerns or file complaints with the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs, LGUs, or the National Commission on Senior Citizens (NCSC) regarding these violations, hospitals will continue to engage in such malpractice without facing consequences.
To address these alleged malpractices and empower senior citizens to be more informed and vigilant, I propose the following programs and action plans:
1. The NCSC should lead extensive and ongoing information dissemination campaigns through platforms such as media guestings and social media to educate all hospitals, clinics, doctors, and healthcare professionals about senior citizen laws and benefits, including those related to hospital bills and professional fees.
2. The Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health should actively disseminate their circulars and advisories regarding senior citizens to all healthcare institutions, including hospitals, clinics, doctors, and drugstores.
Furthermore, I call upon our senators and congressmen, in relation to senior citizen laws, to exercise their oversight committee functions and summon hospital owners and administrators to explain their alleged noncompliance with granting benefits on hospital bills, including professional fees, to senior citizens.
It is my sincere hope that these findings, insights, and recommendations will further empower senior citizens, encourage government agencies to enforce and monitor senior citizen laws more proactively, and promote greater compliance among hospital owners, administrators, and doctors in granting the 12 percent VAT exemption and 20 percent discounts to senior citizens on hospital bills and charges.
I am confident that tripartism, as a strategy, will help identify the real culprits who fail to comply with the proper implementation of senior citizen laws and hold them accountable for their actions.
Emiliano M. Manahan Jr.
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Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
