AN ACT PROHIBITING THE DETENTION OF PATIENTS IN HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL CLINICS ON GROUNDS OF NONPAYMENT OF HOSPITAL BILLS OR MEDICAL EXPENSES

Republic of the Philippines Congress of the Philippines Metro Manila Thirteenth CongressThird Regular Session Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the nineteenth day of February, two thousand seven. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9439 &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp April 27, 2007 AN ACT PROHIBITING THE DETENTION OF PATIENTS IN HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL CLINICS ON GROUNDS OF NONPAYMENT OF HOSPITAL BILLS OR MEDICAL EXPENSES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled: SECTION 1. It shall be unlawful for any hospital or medical clinic in the country to detain or to otherwise cause, directly or indirectly, the detention of patients who have fully or partially recovered or have been adequately attended to or who may have died, for reasons of nonpayment in part or in full of hospital bills or medical expenses. SEC. 2. Patients who have fully or partially recovered and who already wish to leave the hospital or medical clinic but are financially incapable to settle, in part or in full, their hospitalization expenses,...