The Senate approved on third and final reading a bill designed to strengthen legal protections against the detention of patients, their family members, and human remains due to unpaid medical expenses.
Principally authored by Senator Risa Hontiveros, Senate Bill No. 1511 amends Republic Act No. 9439 to broaden its scope beyond traditional hospitals and clinics to include all comparable healthcare facilities, while explicitly covering unpaid doctor and professional fees.
“The answer to unpaid medical debt cannot be to hold a patient, a newborn child, a family member, or the remains of a loved one against their will,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“Debts can be paid, but the dignity and freedom of Filipinos should not be used as collateral,” she added.
Under the proposed legislation, healthcare establishments are prohibited from detaining patient relatives, legal representatives, caregivers, or infants as leverage to compel payment prior to discharge.
The measure guarantees that individuals who have recovered but lack the immediate financial capacity to clear their accounts—including costs for medications and physician fees—must be permitted to leave the facility.
To facilitate discharge, medical providers are required to promptly issue discharge summaries, medical certificates, prescriptions, and related documentation once the necessary promissory obligations are executed.
The bill also waives the promissory note requirement for indigent senior citizens referred by hospital social welfare personnel to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
For deceased patients, facilities must immediately release human remains alongside death certificates and associated documentation needed for burial, insurance claims, or legal procedures, regardless of outstanding debts.
“Hospital sustainability and patient rights are not opposing choices. That is the balance this measure seeks to strike: protecting patients from detention while preserving lawful mechanisms for hospitals to recover legitimate obligations,” Hontiveros said.
Violators face strict penalties, including fines reaching up to ₱1 million, imprisonment, and the potential revocation of operating licenses for habitual offenders.