Manila, July 16 -- Senator Panfilo Lacson has filed a bill that aims to place the Department of Health's (DOH) Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) Program under the framework of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.
With this change, he said, the government "can effectively address the issue of payment delays for medical services rendered by DOH-licensed and/or accredited health facilities because of political interference."
The lawmaker also bats to penalize political exploitation and manipulation of the program to address "the culture of mendicancy and political patronage."
"A coherent and unified health system under Universal Healthcare must be established to effectively address the needs of i...