At least 72 medical and health professional organizations have denounced the proposed ₱51.6-billion allocation for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) in the 2026 national budget, warning it entrenches patronage politics and undermines the health insurance system.
The groups urged that MAIFIP be scrapped or phased out, with funds redirected to PhilHealth, and said they are prepared to challenge the program before the Supreme Court if approved in its current form.
Critics said MAIFIP forces patients to seek guarantee letters from politicians, a practice they described as morally demeaning and contrary to the Universal Health Care law’s rights-based approach.
Amid the backlash, Sen. Risa Hontiveros proposed earmarking ₱15 billion of the fund for zero balance billing in LGU hospitals to expand free hospitalization.
Meanwhile, private hospitals called for stronger PhilHealth support to reduce out-of-pocket costs for indigent patients as Congress also moved to institutionalize the DSWD’s AICS program.
Source: PhilNews24 | December 17, 2025
