In February 2018, when the first-ever Malasakit Center was opened, the Philippine government established a one-stop service center for the Malasakit Program, leveling the healthcare playing field for the less fortunate. Through the Malasakit Centers, they lumped together all the government agencies in one place, enabling the poor and marginalized to seek help for their medical fees from various government agencies without having to move around so much.
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To date, the government has already established 151 Malasakit Centers nationwide. These centers have but one purpose: To ensure that the poor and marginalized patients nationwide can get basic medical help and services without worrying about expenses, in the most efficient way possible and without having to go through complex medical support processes. To learn more about what the Malasakit Centers are all about and how they can help, keep reading this guide.
What is a Malasakit Center
The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop for medical and financial assistance established by the government to bring help and services closer to the poor and marginalized. It was first initiated by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President following a presidential mandate. The centers were established to carry out the Malasakit Program in collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Visayas Presidential Assistant’s Office. Through the centers, those who need help can enjoy zero balance billing, simplified medical support processes and fast delivery of medical services without having to worry about going from one government agency to another.
With the Malasakit Centers serving as service counters for various agencies in government-operated healthcare facilities and hospitals, the financially-incapacitated patients can save time and money (for transportation costs) when seeking for assessments and referrals for patient assistance and navigations.
Malasakit Center Mandate and Functions
The creation of the Malasakit Centers was prompted by the Malasakit Centers Act—a state policy purported to protect and promote the Filipinos’ right to health while instilling health consciousness among them. It is in an effort to support the state towards this goal that the centers were established to:
- Adopt a multi-sectoral approach to address health issues;
- Affirm linkages between health and social services consistent with Republic Act No. 11223, universally known as the “Universal Health Care (UHC) Act”;
- Speed up the delivery of people-oriented health services;
- Ensure the accessibility of financial assistance for hospital and medical expenses; and
- Provide free health care services to indigents and financially incapacitated patient.
Benefits
The Malasakit Centers established in DOH-managed hospitals were established to serve:
- As one-stop shop for all medical and financial assistance from various government agencies;
- To provide patient navigation and referrals support to the health care provider networks;
- To provide information regarding membership, coverage and benefit packages in the National Health Insurance Program (NHIC) or PhilHealth;
- To document, process, and use data from patient experience in making a standard for institutional changes in the hospital;
- To support capacity-building and provide performance evaluation to ensure good client interaction;
- To provide critical information on healthy behaviors;
- To offer medical assistance by providing transportation and accommodations for those who are financially unable to afford treatment.
- To reduce, if not eliminate, out-of-pocket expenditures of indigent and financially incapacitated patients including non-medical expenses like transportation costs;
- To conduct health promotion activities in the hospital; and
- To offer a special service lane for the exclusive use and benefit of senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The establishment of various Malasakit Centers nationwide makes it easier for the government to offer a number of benefits that are:
- Non-Partisan
Malasakit Centers are meant for everyone, regardless of endorsements from elected officials or party charter representatives.
- Convenient
This does away with the need to go through numerous offices and repeat your story multiple times for one purpose.
- Fast
By having a one-stop shop, important medical services, medication, and support are accessed faster, preventing health problems from worsening.
- Free
Malasakit Centers are government-run so patients are not supposed to be charged with fees for utilizing its services. There are also no additional fees or balance billing charged to patients, ensuring equal access to quality medical care, regardless of economic status.
- No Cash Assistance
While Malasakit Centers are meant to offer help with hospital and medical fees, they do not offer cash assistance. Instead, they issue guarantee letters which are accepted in DOH-managed hospitals.
- Requirements Apply
All programs held at the Malasakit Center are run by certain agencies, and each has its own specific guidelines.
Qualifications
The services of the Malasakit Centers nationwide are reserved for:
- Poor patients who have been consulted or admitted to Partner Hospitals
- Indigent patients who have been consulted or admitted to Partner Hospitals.
Requirements
In order to avail of services offered by the Malasakit Centers, the patients must first be registered in the hospital registry. They will also need to bring the following documentary requirements:
- Hospital bills assessment
- Medical Abstract
- Duly accomplished Malasakit Unified Form
Procedures
To avail the Malasakit Center services, these are the steps you need to follow:
Step 1: In-patients should go to the Billing Section of the hospital.
Step 2: Request for an assessment of their billing along with a medical abstract.
Step 3: Once you have obtained these documents, take them both to the Malasakit Center.
Step 4: To request for medical assistance, out the Malasakit Unified Form.
Step 5: Submit the form and the requirements and have a social worker assist you with the analysis and coverage.
Step 6: Head to the Philhealth desk of the Malasakit Center so you can become a Philhealth member, if you’re not one already.
Step 7: If your initial Philhealth coverage is not enough, the Malasakit Center will direct you to either PCSO or DOH in order to get additional funding from the Presidential Social Fund (PSF).
Step 8: The help will come in the form of a guarantee letter—a document that covers your hospital expenses instead of cash.
Step 9: Once you receive the guarantee letter, simply present it to the hospital’s billing department, and they will deduct it from your bill.
Important Reminders
For those who are availing the benefits that the Malasakit Centers are offering, here are a few things they need to remember:
- The Malasakit Centers are a one-stop service centers furnished with desks manned by personnel from various government agencies including:
- the Department of Health (DOH);
- the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO);
- the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC); and
- the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
- They offer support in paying for hospital fees and other medical expenses.
- The support comes in the form of guarantee letters.
- There is no cash assistance offered in the Malasakit Centers.
- The Malasakit Centers, regardless of location, implements a standard system of availment of assistance.
- To dat
Video: What is a Malasakit Center
Learn about what a Malasakit Center is, as well as the programs and services it offers to the Filipino people by watching this video posted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA):
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who is the Malasakit Center for?
According to Section 4 of the Malasakit Center Act, otherwise known as “Establishment of Malasakit Centers,” the “Malasakit Center” is established in all government hospitals to act as a one-stop shop for all indigent and financially incapacitated patients who need medical and financial assistance.
2. How do I avail of the Malasakit Center services?
If you are an in-patient, you will need to go to the Billing Section of the hospital and ask for an assessment of your billing and for a medical abstract. Then, you can head over to the Malasakit Center. In the center, you will be asked to fill up the Malasakit Unified Form to request medical assistance and submit the requirements, before you will be issued a guarantee letter which you can use.
3. Is the Malasakit Center free of charge?
Yes. The Malasakit Centers are non-partisan, convenient, free of charge, and accessible. It also implements a standard system for the assistance it offers. The Malasakit Centers also feature a special lane for the exclusive use of senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
4. Is there a Malasakit Center in private hospitals?
The Malasakit Center Act also encourages the establishment of Malasakit Centers in private hospitals and healthcare facilities. As of writing, it is unclear whether there is already one, but the law clearly states that PhilHealth and the DOH are expected to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with private hospitals to set up a Malasakit Center that will cater to indigent and poor patients of the private hospital.
5. What is the Malasakit Program financial assistance?
The Malasakit Program financial assistance refers to the assistance offered to patients who approach the Malasakit Center. This includes the funding offered by the center amounting to up to Php 50,000.00 lifted off of the Presidential Social Fund (PSF), as well as those given by the other government agencies after conducting their own assessments.
6. Is Malasakit the same as PhilHealth?
No. The Malasakit Program involves setting up a service center that serves as a one-stop shop where poor and indigent patients can efficiently access financial medical assistance from various agencies including PhilHealth, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
7. Who is the owner of Malasakit Center?
The Malasakit Center is government owned and managed. It was borne out of the program initiated by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President, led by former Senator Bong Go following a directive of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
8. How much does Malasakit Center cover?
The amount covered by assistance from the Malasakit Center may vary, but a patient may receive up to Php 50,000.00 from the Presidential Social Fund (PSF). On top of this, the patient nay also receive assistance from other government agencies based on their assessments.
9. What does Malasakit mean?
In Tagalog, the term “malasakit” translates to compassion—a value that manifests itself in situations that require one to help others, either in the face of a disaster or in the form of being hospitable during special occasions. It is a concept that is rooted in Filipino culture and values.
In the medical context, Malasakit refers to empathy and compassion in the delivery of healthcare services, with the goal of improving health access for all. This makes the Malasakit Center a key component of the government’s efforts to enhance the way they address the high levels of poverty, inequality, and poor healthcare systems and outcomes within Philippine society.
10. How is the selection of Partner Hospitals done?
The Malasakit Center is usually housed in Partner Hospitals which means the selection for such hospitals require certain conditions including having the capacity to serve a certain number of patients and the manpower and facilities to provide quality medical care. These standards are set in the Malasakit Center Act’s Implementing Rules and Regulations. The actual selection is carried out by the Inter-Agency Steering Committee also created under this act.
Summary
The Malasakit Center refers to a government facility established to offer a one-stop shop service to poor and marginalized Filipino citizens in an effort to help them receive medical assistance by providing transportation and accommodations for those who are financially unable to afford treatment. The center also offer guarantee letters to help them pay their medical and hospital bills.
It was designed to work with partner hospitals, doctors, and other health professionals to provide coordinated care for indigent and poor Filipino patients. The centers were established to support the Philippine government’s efforts to improve health outcomes, reduce poverty and inequality, and provide better access to quality healthcare for all by simplifying the process of getting the additional funding support for hospitalization. Through the database system of patient’s information, the Malasakit Centers also creates standardized bases for efficient healthcare support as needed by the Filipino patients.
Contact Information
For inquiries or concerns regarding the services offered by the Malasakit Centers, you may reach out to:
Office of Senator Bong Go
Office of the Special Assistant to the President
Office Address: Senate of the Philippines, Room 507, 5th Floor, GSIS Building, Jose Diokno Blvd., Financial Center, Pasay City, Metro Manila, 1300
Telephone Numbers: 8552-6601 loc. 5580 (main number) and 5316 (admin), 8286-7045 loc. 5318 (receiving)
Email address: senbgconcerns@gmail.com