MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) announced that updated guidelines for the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) will be released in February.

“Nakabase ang guidelines sa mahigpit na utos ng Pangulong Marcos na bawal na ang mga guarantee letters mula sa mga elected official para bayaran ang bill ng pasyente sa mga ospital,” the DOH said. (The guidelines will be based on the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that guarantee letters from elected officials are no longer needed to cover hospital bills for patients.)

Under the new guidelines, MAIFIP benefits will be expanded to cover ambulatory care, ambulatory surgical clinics, eye centers, ophthalmology services, dental services, free-standing dialysis clinics, and Food and Drug Administration-approved medicines. The program will also include full coverage of doctors’ professional fees in accordance with DOH rules.

Funding for MAIFIP has increased from PHP41 billion under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) to PHP51.6 billion in 2026, which will serve as the basis for the updated guidelines.

Malacañang defended the increase in allocation, saying the funds will go directly to local government units and hospitals, with the DOH as the lead implementing agency.

Reporting by PNA.