THE Senate has passed on third and final reading a bill designed to strengthen protections for patients and their families by prohibiting hospitals and medical facilities from detaining them over unpaid medical expenses.
Voting 18-0 with one abstention, lawmakers approved Senate Bill No. 1511, also known as the Enhanced Anti-Hospital Detention Act.
The measure amends Republic Act No. 9439 to expand safeguards beyond patients to include relatives, caregivers, representatives, and newborn babies. It also reinforces rules mandating the release of deceased patients regardless of unsettled financial obligations.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson was the sole abstainer, citing his role as a founding member of a local hospital in Cavite.
The measure significantly raises penalties for non-compliance. Hospital officers or employees violating the law face fines of ₱300,000 (up from ₱100,000) or up to two years and four months in prison.
Directors or officers enforcing systemic detention policies face fines between ₱500,000 and ₱1 million, imprisonment of four to six years, and potential revocation of the facility’s operating license after three repeat violations.
Principal author Sen. Risa Hontiveros emphasized that the bill balances patient rights with healthcare sustainability.
The lady lawmaker clarified that SB 1511 does not erase legitimate debts or allow patients to abandon obligations without settling them.
Instead, financially incapable patients who are medically cleared for discharge may issue promissory notes backed by mortgages, guarantors, SSS/GSIS benefit assignments, or guarantee letters from government agencies like the DOH, DSWD, or PCSO.
Qualified indigent patients can present adequate guarantee letters following proper assessment. Hospitals can also deduct uncollected amounts from their tax liabilities.
Co-authors including Senators Erwin Tulfo, Joel Villanueva, Mark Villar, and Bong Go highlighted the necessity of the law, pointing out that continuous confinement only compounds financial distress through daily charges.
The legislation also demands complete cost transparency to protect families from hidden fees.
