MANILA – The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) does not reimburse cash payments to hospitals, a PCSO official clarified.
Dr. Larry Cedro, PCSO’s assistant general manager for charity sector, stressed that they do not refund hospital cash payments made by patients or their relatives.
Cedro’s statement came following successive queries that the PCSO has received.
“’Yung programa ng PCSO, may sinusunod tayong panuntunan,” said Cedro, adding that, “Base sa aming programa, bawal ang reimbursement.”
Patients benefiting from the program must submit their final hospital bill to the PCSO before discharge, according to Cedro.
“Ini-encourage namin ang lahat na mag-file ng kanilang [financial/medical] assistance prior to discharge. Dapat may final bill na isu-sumite sa amin tapos i-a-asses ng social worker who will determine the appropriate amount, depending on the status of the patient,” said Cedro, speaking in a press conference in Lipa City, Batangas last week.
Cedro at the time was attending a PCSO event held at the Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club.
The event highlighted PCSO’s 2018 First Quarter Report.
PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan disclosed that they have earned P15.9 billion from various lottery games in the year’s first quarter.
“For the first quarter, we have 120,356 IMAP beneficiaries, a 34.09 percent increase from the same period last year. The agency also spent P2.35 billion for IMAP assistance, a 39.96 percent increase from the same period last year,” said Balutan.
IMAP, or the Individual Medical Assistance Program, is for individuals with health-related problems.
It gives them financial assistance provided that they submit requirements, such as a letter of request, a medical abstract and a final hospital bill.
After assessment, PCSO will issue a guarantee letter (GL) to the hospital or partner health facility, which assumes the obligation of a specific amount due from the client for the services rendered.
“If you pay it using your personal loans or credit cards, we will treat it as a settled case. Remember, we are using public funds and PCSO is accountable for that. Our basic requirement is no reimbursement is allowed,” Balutan added.
Patients classified as “F” who are admitted in the charity ward of a government hospital are entitled to receive aid covering 100 percent of his or her medical expenses.
In a private charity ward, IMAP will cover 70 percent of the patient’s expenses.
If the patient is admitted in a private hospital, the assistance will cover as high as 60 percent of his or her expenses.
“For chemo and radiation therapies, we have a scheme. We enroll the patient to the program briefly. If the patient needs six cycles, we can cover 50 percent of that requirement or 3 cycles. For rehabilitation, we require quotation,” Cedro said.
Currently, there are 58 At-Source-Ang-Processing Desks in PCSO partner hospitals and health facilities, and 63 PCSO branches where patients and their relatives can directly seek financial assistance without the need to go to the main office or Lung Center of the Philippines./PN
