Metro Manila, Philippines – PhilHealth announced on Sunday, June 14 it is investigating the case of a man who died of a brain hematoma but did not receive any benefits despite being a longtime contributor. This comes days after his widow spoke out about the situation.
According to Maria Lourdes Sulit in a now-viral Facebook post, her husband, Marvin, suffered a brain hematoma, but the family could not afford a life-saving operation that cost around ₱4 million. They were referred to another hospital where treatment was cheaper.
However, Sulit said they were still required to pay a ₱1 million deposit.
“With time running out and no way to raise that amount immediately, we had no choice but to wait for Marvin to die. It was heartbreaking and devastating,” she wrote on Friday, June 12.
“At 12:29 AM on June 4, Marvin passed away, he was admitted at around 5.59 am,” she shared.
She said that at 6:00 a.m. on June 4, just hours after Marvin died, their hospital bill had already reached ₱200,000.
She sought assistance from PhilHealth but was subsequently denied.
“To my shock, I was told that my husband was not eligible for #PhilHealth benefits because he had been hospitalized for less than 24 hours. My husband had just died. How could he not be eligible?” she asked.
Sulit said that her husband was a lifelong PhilHealth member who had spent more than 25 years making contributions.
“My heart is broken, but I share our story in the hope that no other family will have to endure the same pain,” she lamented.
Two days later, on June 14, PhilHealth said it was aware of the post and had begun coordinating with the widow.
“PhilHealth immediately mobilized, upon learning of the incident, to understand and address the situation. We have since reached out to the member’s wife and have agreed on the next steps as we explore all avenues of support,” the agency wrote.
It added that it was coordinating with the hospitals mentioned in Sulit’s post to clarify the circumstances of the situation.
Under PhilHealth’s Circular No. 2025-0020, beneficiaries may be entitled to Facility-Based Emergency (FBE) benefits if they were “discharged within 24 hours after entering the ED (emergency department) or its extension facility, or has expired while in the ED prior admission.” (Source: PhilHealth Circular No. 2025-0020)
