Senator Mark Villar welcomed the Senate’s approval of Senate Bill No. 1511, also known as the Enhanced Anti-Hospital Detention Act, which passed its third and final reading with 18 votes in favor, zero opposing votes, and one abstention.
The proposed legislation strengthens existing protections under Republic Act No. 9439 by imposing severe sanctions on medical facilities that prevent individuals from leaving because of unsettled medical expenses. Beyond patients, the updated measure expands legal coverage to caregivers, relatives, and designated representatives.
It explicitly prohibits institutions from withholding newborns in maternity wards or refusing to release the remains of deceased individuals due to unpaid accounts.
The bill also outlaws the coercive “palit-ulo” scheme, where a companion or family member is forced to remain at the facility as collateral until financial obligations are cleared.
”Hindi dapat maging kulungan ang mga ospital at clinic para sa ating mga kababayang hindi agad makabayad ng hospital bills. Sa ilalim ng panukalang batas na ito, mas papatawan ng mabigat na parusa ang mga pasilidad na iligal na nagde-detain ng mga pasyente, sanggol, o maging ng labi ng ating mga kababayan,” Villar said.
Under the measure, hospital staff or personnel directly responsible for illegal detention face fines reaching ₱300,000 and imprisonment for up to two years and four months.
Hospital directors or administrators who mandate or enforce institutional detention policies face fines between ₱500,000 and ₱1 million, alongside prison sentences of four to six years. Medical facilities found guilty of three violations under such policies risk the revocation of their operating licenses.
Villar noted that the legislation does not cancel legitimate medical debts or prevent facilities from recovering expenses. Instead, it mandates that institutions rely on legal and humane collection practices.
Patients facing financial difficulty may issue promissory notes secured by recognized guarantees or obtain guarantee letters from appropriate government agencies.