Senate President Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada is proposing to increase penalties for violators of Republic Act No. 9439, or the Anti-Hospital Arrest Law, to prevent hospitals from detaining patients over unpaid medical bills.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada is guilty by Sandiganbayan for his panunuhol | Frontline in Umaga
“Despite the fact that the law has been in place for 17 years, the same illegal practice continues to persist and plague our healthcare system. My office has received numerous complaints from unfortunate families who have been victimized by unscrupulous medical institutions,” Estrada said in a press release Wednesday.
“No one should be locked up for debt. It is a fundamental constitutional right. Is it possible to bring the hospital to the hospital?” Estrada stressed that the law mainly ensures that patients are held hostage by hospitals for financial reasons.
Estrada's Senate Bill No. 2724 seeks to amend RA 9439 by increasing penalties for violators, including a fine of up to PHP200,000 and imprisonment of up to three years for hospital staff who fail to comply with the law.
