The Department of Health (DOH) has clarified that guarantee letters from elected officials are not required for patients seeking admission into basic or ward accommodations at DOH-run hospitals.
For years, the issuance of guarantee letters by mayors, congressmen and other elected officials has become common practice to help constituents cover medical expenses — so much so that some patients believe hospitals will not accommodate them without one.
Laura Ignacio, who previously requested a guarantee letter from officials, said she only recently learned that it was unnecessary in DOH hospitals.
“Ngayon ko lang nalaman na hindi na pala kailangan ng guarantee letter,” Ignacio said.
“Wala ka nang babayaran. Ang babayaran mo na lang ‘yung kakainin mo at pamasahe. Malaking bagay ‘yun.”
The department emphasized that patients who wish to be admitted to a basic or ward accommodation in a DOH hospital only need to make this clear upon admission.
DOH spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo, advised patients and their families not to initially request private accommodations if they are unable to pay.
“Ang mahalaga dito, huwag sasabihin sa simula pa lang na gusto ko sa private,” Domingo said, explaining that hospitals may interpret such requests as proof of financial capacity.
Domingo clarified that the DOH does issue its own guarantee letters, but only in specific case, such as patients confined to private hospitals or those admitted in private rooms in government hospitals. But this is subject to requirements.
These cases often involve smaller private hospitals that do not have social workers. In such instances, families may seek assistance from the DOH regional offices, which can issue a DOH-funded guarantee letter.
“Hindi siya political at valid siya dahil nanggagaling sa budget ng DOH,” Domingo said.
Requirements typically include valid IDs, hospital billing statements, proof of confinement, a clinical abstract, and the amount of assistance being requested.
The DOH underscored that its guarantee letters are entirely different from those issued by elected officials and are not connected to political offices.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, in a palace press conference, said that if an elected official issues a guarantee letter, the cost should come from their personal funds, not government resources.
“I can write a guarantee for you, but the one who writes the guarantee pays for it,” Herbosa said during a previous press briefing.
Domingo added that under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, political interference in hospital admissions is now explicitly prohibited through Section 19.
For patients confined in basic wards of DOH hospitals, PhilHealth coverage, HMOs, and senior citizens or persons with disability discounts are first deducted from the total bill.
Any remaining balance is then covered by the DOH using its own funds. (ABS-CBN News)