Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Saturday urged stronger government oversight of private hospitals, calling for tighter monitoring of billing practices and clearer judicial precedents to address what he described as excessive medical charges.
Speaking on his radio program, Remulla criticized emergency room fees, saying these are often inflated and place an additional burden on patients seeking urgent care.
“‘Yung mga ER expenses, laging bloated ‘yan. Kasi ang ER, minsan ang taas magbigay ng rates eh… sobrang mahal ng ER expenses. Kapag na-ER ka para kang nagulpi ulit,” he remarked.
During the same program, Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito echoed concerns over hospital pricing and urged the Department of Science and Technology’s Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) to look into the issue.
“‘Yung PhilHealth, nandiyan dapat para sagutin. Kaya lang marami rin ang nagsasamantala na mga private hospitals na itaas ‘yung rates. ‘Yung HTAC… dapat tingnan din ito,” Ejercito said.
Remulla stressed that private hospitals should be subject to stronger government scrutiny.
“Dapat ang private hospitals, mabantayan nang husto ng government ‘yan,” he said, adding that the judiciary must also help establish clearer precedents in cases involving medical malpractice and wrongful conduct.
“Kulang tayo sa judicial precedents sa malpractice tsaka wrongful behavior ng medical field,” he noted.
He also cited pneumonia cases as an example, pointing out that while PhilHealth case rates are intended to cover treatment, patients often still face substantial additional charges.
“Example lang, case rate ng pneumonia. Pero kapag tiningnan mo ‘yung billing… matindi. Ang case rate dapat ‘yan PhilHealth na sasagot, pero ‘yung ibang fees na associated sa pneumonia, sobrang taas,” he explained.