To address the reluctance of some medical doctors to attend to indigent patients under government’s medical assistance program due to delayed payments, House Committee on Appropriations Chairman and Rep. Elizaldy Co of party-list Ako Bicol has proposed that these doctors be paid in a more timely manner.
The lawmaker met with Department of Health (DOH) officials to address concerns by some indigent patients covered by the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients Program (MAIPP) of not receiving timely treatment due to delayed payments of doctors’ fees.
“We cannot have a system that is delayed in paying doctors. We need to ensure that our doctors are paid on time,” Co told health officials in Filipino.
“If the doctors are paid immediately, more medical professionals would be willing to help under MAIPP. Payment delays should not be obstacles in serving our countrymen,” he added.
As government assistance serves as a lifeline for indigent patients across the country, Co proposed that MAIPP guidelines be revised to streamline the payment process of doctors’ fees.
For quicker disbursement of MAIPP funds, he suggested that corporate credit cards be used to reduce waiting time in the payment of doctors’ fees.
The lawmaker said another possible long-term solution to payment delays is to convert unpaid professional fees into tax credits. He noted, however, that this proposal needs legislative action.
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