How do I get help paying a hospital bill or buying medicine (DSWD)?
Last updated: 2026-07-11 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Apply for DSWD's Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), the government's medical crisis-assistance program. For a hospital bill you bring a medical certificate, clinical abstract or discharge summary issued within the last three months (showing the diagnosis, the patient's full name, and the physician's license number and signature), the hospital bill or statement of account (or a Certificate of Balance plus a promissory note), a Social Case Study Report, and a valid ID. For medicine or a laboratory procedure you bring the same medical certificate plus the prescription or laboratory request; if the request exceeds ₱10,000 you must add a quotation and a Social Case Study Report. Under DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 20, s. 2025 (effective 29 September 2025), medical assistance ranges from ₱1,000 up to ₱150,000, subject to the availability of funds and a social worker's assessment.
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Frequently asked
Is there an income cutoff to qualify?
There is no fixed peso income ceiling published for AICS medical assistance — eligibility is based on a social worker's assessment of the poor, vulnerable, and financially-incapacitated. Some field offices ask for a barangay certificate of indigency and some congressional-district units limit help to their constituents, so requirements vary by office. Bring an indigency certificate if you can, but it is not a national numeric means test.
What does the ₱10,000 figure mean?
The ₱10,000 is a documentary trigger, not a cap: for a medicine or laboratory/procedure request above ₱10,000, DSWD requires you to add a quotation and a Social Case Study Report. It is separate from the ₱1,000–₱150,000 assistance range under MC 20 s.2025. A social worker may recommend more than the maximum in a justified case, subject to funds.
Do I get cash or is it paid to the hospital?
DSWD is shifting AICS medical assistance toward Guarantee Letters issued directly to the service provider — the hospital, pharmacy, diagnostic center or blood bank — rather than cash to the patient. You can still ask to negotiate cash versus a guarantee letter. Where you apply: a DSWD Crisis Intervention Section/Unit, SWAD or satellite office, or the Malasakit Center desk.
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