00:00The hospital bill reached more than P400,000 for the hospitalization of Mr. Nelonora
00:09when his foot was cut due to complications with diabetes and stroke after the operation last November.
00:15When the personal insurance, PhilHealth and PWD discount was reduced, P65,000 was still left.
00:22Nelonora has already borrowed it and is paying every salary until now.
00:27Why when you have an illness, you are still having a hard time with the bill
00:34while if you don't have an illness, when you have a job, the tax is there.
00:38PhilHealth is just a one-time deduction and it's very small.
00:43I was surprised with our bill, the discount of PWD is even bigger.
00:48Magno Galgana, who is 80 years old, is not being paid if he is confined due to COPD.
00:54But as an outpatient, he is praying that someone can help him.
00:57Even if there is a discount, the bill still needs to be paid for check-up, laboratory, and medicine.
01:03It's really hard, especially for a senior like me.
01:09The medical bills seem to be heavy this year.
01:12In the Global Medical Trends Survey conducted by Willis Towers Watson, a multinational insurance company,
01:18this year, the medical cost of the country may increase by more than 18%.
01:23Dr. Jose Degrano, of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, said that love for medicine cannot be avoided.
01:30We have no choice.
01:32That's how it is.
01:33Everything has gone up.
01:34Medical supplies, even the salaries of our nurses.
01:40So it's expected that the hospitalization will also increase.
01:47For PhilHealth, the increase of 50% in the case rate should help.
01:52It's in the 1,000 PhilHealth packages.
01:54One problem, according to PhilHealth,
01:57is that the increase of hospital bills is in line with the increase of PhilHealth's benefits.
02:02There is no law that will regulate hospital bills.
02:07We also ask our hospitals and doctors
02:12not to increase their bills or their prices at the same time.
02:18Because there is no regulation, PhilHealth is studying the ceiling price
02:22that private hospitals can charge.
02:24We need to negotiate with the facilities and with the doctors.
02:27And also, with that, we need to get their actual cost
02:31so that we know how much we will increase
02:34or how much our fixed co-payments will be set.
02:37But the Department of Health said that PhilHealth should show mercy.
02:41As of now, more than 40% of the medical expenses are paid by the patient.
02:46Only 10% will be deducted from the hospital bill due to PhilHealth.
02:50The patient's assistance from the medical assistance of the DOH is even higher.
02:55The work of PhilHealth is to pay the benefits of my members.
02:59And for that to happen, the payment should be fast.
03:03Second, the estimate of the amount to be paid is correct.
03:07I hope that something will change, said Leonora.
03:10Due to the debt of the hospital bill,
03:13she can hardly buy the medicines that her husband needs.
03:16To be honest, I buy his medicine three times a day.
03:21I buy it twice a day.
03:23He has it twice a day, once a day.
03:26I buy it so that he can eat.
03:30His prescription is very expensive.
03:32For GMA Integrated News, Macken Polido, for Tutok, 24 Hours.
03:43For Macken Polido, for Tutok, 24 Hours.
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