Philippine Heart Center flagged for lack of publicized medical price list

THE Commission on Audit (CoA) has flagged the Philippine Heart Center for violating the 2019 Universal Healthcare Act by failing to provide patients with an accessible price list of all health services and goods.

In a December report, state auditors said the state’s heart hospital lacks a “publicly accessible price list” of its health services, depriving its patients the ability to make informed medical decisions.

“The non-availability of such a list results in a significant information gap for patients and the general public, depriving them of the opportunity to make informed decisions about their healthcare choices,” the CoA said.

The Philippine Heart Center did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

The Universal Healthcare Act mandates hospitals and clinics to prepare a “readily accessible” information sheet about the prices of health services and medical goods it offers to patients, according to the audit report.

“During the audit, it was observed that rates for some medical and surgical procedures, laboratory tests, and imaging diagnostic tests were published on the Center’s official website… However, other prevailing rates or prices of health services and goods offered are not readily accessible,” the report stated. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio