Detained in the hospital

I need an advise regarding my case. I was rushed here in the hospital last week and was admmitted. Supposedly after two days, pwede na po akong lumabas pero dahil hindi po na cover ng health card, ako po ang dapat magbayad lahat ng hospital bills and professional fees ng mga doctors. Di po pumayag yung hospital na bayaran ko yung half tapos promissory note na lang na babayaran ko yung kulang every pay day. Ang nangyari po ngayon, di ako makalabas dahil parang naka detain ako dito sa loob ng hospital so lalo lang lumalaki yung babayaran ko. Worst, di na po ako nakakapasok. 9 days na po akong nagsstay dito sa hospital.

Ano po bang pwede naming gawin?

There is a special law specifically banning hospitals from doing this bad practice. In case you have not yet avail of the services of a counsel, the best thing that you can do is to collate all the necessary documents i.e., receipts, hospital bills, letters etc.which can establish that you have been staying there for almost two weeks now. Also the document that will show that they are not allowing you to be released unless you settle the bills.

i have all the documents except for the letter stating that they're not allowing me to be released since they're not sending such letter. They're just sending the billing dept representative saying that I can never be released unless I pay them in full.

the law is RA9439 but the protection applies only to patients who did not stay in private rooms. under the implementing rules, a private room includes a room where four people are sharing the room with dividers.

if you are in a private room, have yourself moved to the ward and then try to assert your rights under RA9439.

try to get police assistance to get out. if they physically force you to stay, charge them with coercion or illegal detention.

Hi bubbles,

My name is Ferdie Morano. I'm a senior law student doing a thesis on RA 9439 and its apparent violation of the non-impairment-for-debt clause found in the Constitution. I'm looking for a person who has experienced being detained in a hospital because of alleged non-payment of hospital bills. May I ask if I can interview you regarding your experience? Rest assured, all data gathered shall be treated with utmost confidentiality and shall solely be for academic purposes only. You may text me at 09206261884 or e-mail me at ferdiemorano_63@yahoo.com. I've already contacted several hospitals but they won't allow me to interview their patients. I really want to expose these seemingly illegal scheme of hospitals. I hope you grant my request. Thank you!

@ferdiem

Why don't you also do bubbles a favor by helping her out of the hospital?

Yes sir, I'm more than willing to help her because that's the purpose of my thesis. But, I should be in contact with her first.

Nice to hear that. Good luck to your studies and God Bless.