Chanda Jane Licuanan is among the many Filipinos expressing concern over reports that some private hospitals have stopped honoring guarantee letters (GLs) issued by lawmakers and other government officials to help cover medical expenses.

Licuanan’s husband, James, is due for a major heart operation. But the Philippine Heart Center has refused to proceed unless nearly a million pesos in fees are settled — a cost the family cannot shoulder without GLs.

“We are counting on GLs provided by some congressmen, senators, and LGUs for my husband to undergo the operation. If they will not honor any more GLs, what will happen to us, less fortunate patients?” Licuanan said.

The issue has sparked reactions from public officials, including Quezon Province Governor Helen Tan, a medical doctor, who called on the Private Hospital Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) and its partner hospitals to reconsider their position.

“We are urgently calling on PHAPI and our partner hospitals to reassess and review this decision,” Tan said in a statement.

She stressed that halting the acceptance of GLs will disproportionately affect low-income patients who rely on these guarantees for timely access to healthcare.

Tan underscored the importance of the GL system in enabling immediate medical intervention for indigent and financially incapacitated individuals. She urged the Department of Health (DOH) to streamline the disbursement of funds under the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program to maintain trust between the government and private hospitals.

Meanwhile, PHAPI President Dr. Jose Rene De Grano clarified in a DZRH radio interview that not all private hospitals have stopped accepting GLs.

“There are discussions about possibly discontinuing [GLs], but as of now, we are still accepting them. It has reached a point where the payables to us under MAIFIP have grown significantly,” De Grano said.

MAIFIP is designed to provide financial support for qualified patients, ensuring continued access to critical medical services.

De Grano emphasized that while most of their member hospitals have not made a final decision, some have already taken action — particularly in Batangas Province, where 39 out of 44 private hospitals have stopped accepting GLs due to P530 million in unpaid obligations.

“It’s up to individual hospitals whether to accept GLs or not,” he noted, citing mounting operational costs and delayed reimbursements.

In response, DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said the department is working to settle its outstanding obligations.

“DOH will continue to reconcile payables to specific private hospitals in compliance with prevailing laws and policies. This is ongoing,” Domingo told reporters.

As the debate continues, families like the Licuanans are left uncertain, waiting for both clarity and compassion from those involved.