Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito on Wednesday said the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program should eventually be removed, with its funds redirected directly to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) or government hospitals.
Ejercito, author and principal sponsor of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, believes phasing out MAIFIP would help reduce patronage politics, especially among indigent beneficiaries.
“Ngayon dahan-dahan naman, nararamdaman na at gumaganda na ‘yung PhilHealth, gumaganda na ‘yung UHC. So kaya ko nasabi na itong MAIFIP nung una nakakatulong dahil inaayos pa ‘yung UHC. Pero ngayon, maganda na sigurong i-phase out ito paunti-unti dahil gumaganda na nga ang UHC at ‘yung PhilHealth ay nagiging epektibo na,” he said in a radio interview.
“Kumbaga kung magkasakit ka, andiyan ang UHC, pumunta ka na lang ng ospital, ang problemahin mo magpagaling. Hindi mo na problemahin dapat saan ka kukuha ng pambayad. Dapat ‘yung pondo ay nasa ospital na diretso o kaya nasa PhilHealth na,” he added.
The proposed funding for MAIFIP has been raised to ₱51 billion for 2026, after lawmakers approved an increase in the national budget. The program, under the Department of Health (DOH), provides financial aid for the medical expenses of eligible indigent and financially incapable patients.