Filipino patients continue to face hospital bills that are not fully itemized, particularly on professional fees and other charges, making it difficult for families to verify and understand the full cost of medical care.
To address the problem, Senator Erwin Tulfo has filed Senate Bill No. 1987, which seeks to require health care providers to issue a standardized and itemized statement of account, amending Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act.
“Accountability in billing should never be compromised.”
“There must be a higher standard when it comes to medical institutions. Yes, we understand that hospitals operate within financial constraints and must remain fiscally responsible, but accountability in billing should never be compromised,” Tulfo said during a recent privilege speech.
The measure directs hospitals to provide a complete itemized billing statement covering facility charges, medicines, laboratory and diagnostic services, and professional fees of attending health care professionals, including their names, specialties, and services rendered.
Under the bill, the Department of Health (DOH), in coordination with PhilHealth, is tasked to set a standardized billing format to ensure transparency.
The legislator said that the lack of a standardized billing system weakens patient protection and limits DOH and PhilHealth’s ability to properly assess hospital charges and align benefit coverage.
The lawmaker said the measure aims to protect patients from unexpected and unclear medical expenses.
“The measure of a healthcare system is not found solely in its equipment, facilities, or balance sheets, but in how it treats the weakest among us.”
“In the end, the measure of a healthcare system is not found solely in its equipment, facilities, or balance sheets, but in how it treats the weakest among us,” the senator said.
The bill is currently pending under the Committee on Health and Demography. It was filed on March 17, 2026, four days before the session break.
