PCSO Medical Assistance: What to Bring
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office · assistance
Quick answer
PCSO's Medical Assistance Program issues guarantee letters toward hospital bills, cancer treatment, dialysis, implants and diagnostics. Every application needs the MAP form and a valid patient ID, then a checklist that differs by treatment type. Apply online, by email, or at a Malasakit Center.
Every figure on this page is from official published documents: PCSO, Supreme Court E-Library and PhilHealth.
Last verified 3 sources, listed below
PCSO | Medical Assistance Program (MAP)1 · Supreme Court E-Library | Republic Act No. 11463, Malasakit Centers Act2 · PhilHealth | Advisory No. 2026-00423. PHGuides is independent and not affiliated with PCSO.
PCSO is the agency most people mean when they say they will “go to PCSO for the hospital bill”. It runs the Medical Assistance Program, and it is one of the three funding sources sitting at every Malasakit Center.
What it issues is usually a guarantee letter to the facility, not cash to you.
What every application needs
Two items, whatever the treatment:
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Duly accomplished MAP Application Form |
| 2 | Valid proof of identity of the patient |
PCSO accepts a wide range of identity proof, which matters because the person who needs help is often the person least able to produce a passport:
| Accepted proof of identity |
|---|
| Government-issued ID |
| Medical Social Services-issued ID |
| School ID, for minors |
| Birth certificate, for newborns up to 5 years old |
| Barangay certification, for minors not enrolled in school |
| Certification on the unknown identity of the patient, from the Medical Social Service or hospital representative |
A valid ID of the patient’s next of kin is required where applicable.
That last row is the one worth knowing in an emergency. An unidentified patient is not disqualified.
Then a checklist that depends on the treatment
Every physician-signed document must carry the attending physician’s full name, signature and license number. Abstracts for recently discharged patients must have been issued within the past 3 months.
| Type of assistance | What it adds |
|---|---|
| Confinement | Original billing statement, SOA or service invoice signed by the Billing Officer; medical abstract or discharge summary, or a medical certificate for ER cases; notarised promissory note if already discharged |
| Cancer treatment, chemotherapy and immunotherapy | Abstract within 3 months, updated prescription, treatment protocol, and 1 hospital quotation or 3 supplier quotations if the medicine is unavailable |
| Radiation therapy | Abstract, prescription, treatment plan, and 1 official quotation showing mandatory deductions for senior citizen, PhilHealth, PWD and HMO |
| Dialysis, ESRD, CKD, acute renal failure | Abstract, 1 quotation from the dialysis centre, and for PhilHealth members a certification of PhilHealth benefit exhaustion, except for acute renal failure |
| Specialty medicines | Abstract or medical certificate, prescription, treatment protocol, 1 or 3 quotations |
| Laboratory and imaging, CT, MRI, PET, ERCP, biopsy, cardiologic tests | Abstract, the doctor’s request, 1 official quotation from the hospital, diagnostic centre or laboratory |
| Orthopedic implants and devices | Abstract, doctor’s request, 3 supplier quotations, and a schedule of operation certified by the attending physician |
| Rehabilitation therapy | Abstract, doctor’s request, treatment protocol, 1 official quotation |
| Catastrophic illness procedures | Abstract, certification the patient is due for the transplant, certification the patient did not qualify for the PhilHealth Z-Benefit for kidney transplant or coronary bypass, and a quotation or SOA |
Three places PhilHealth is not deducted first
PCSO states that no PhilHealth deduction is required for:
| Transfer to another hospital |
| Confinement of less than 24 hours |
| Patients attended to in the emergency room |
Everywhere else, expect PhilHealth to be applied before PCSO tops up. The PhilHealth case rates guide covers what gets deducted, and checking your contributions matters because an inactive membership removes that first layer entirely.
The dialysis rule is stricter still: PhilHealth members need a certification of benefit exhaustion for ESRD and CKD before PCSO steps in. Acute renal failure is excepted from that.
How many quotations, at a glance
The quotation rule is the single most common reason an application is sent back:
| Assistance type | Quotations required |
|---|---|
| Cancer treatment, chemotherapy and immunotherapy | 1 from the hospital, or 3 suppliers if not stocked |
| Radiation therapy | 1, showing the SC, PhilHealth, PWD and HMO deductions |
| Dialysis, ESRD and CKD | 1 from the dialysis centre |
| Specialty medicines | 1, or 3 suppliers if not stocked |
| Laboratory, diagnostics and imaging | 1 from the hospital, diagnostic centre or laboratory |
| Orthopedic implants and devices | 3 suppliers, always |
| Rehabilitation therapy | 1 |
What PhilHealth pays before PCSO tops up
PCSO augments funds rather than replacing insurance, so the size of your request depends on PhilHealth being applied first.
PhilHealth pays inpatient benefits through All Case Rates, deducted by the hospital from your total bill before discharge, inclusive of hospital charges and the attending physician’s professional fees. Bring the Member Data Record or PhilHealth Benefit Eligibility Form and PhilHealth Claim Form 1.
If contributions lapsed, Direct Contributors pay 5.0% of monthly income with a published minimum of ₱500.00 a month:
| Monthly income | Monthly premium | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| ₱10,000.00 | ₱500.00 | ₱6,000.00 |
| ₱30,000.00 | ₱1,500.00 | ₱18,000.00 |
| ₱100,000.00 | ₱5,000.00 | ₱60,000.00 |
Members assessed as indigent may instead sit among PhilHealth’s Indirect Contributors, whose coverage is funded for them. The membership categories guide sets out the split, and checking contributions shows whether yours are posted.
Applying online
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Go to pcso.gov.ph, select E-Services, then Online MAP Application |
| 2 | Create an account, then validate the registration from the email PCSO sends |
| 3 | Log in with first name, last name, date of birth and email, then enter the one-time password emailed to you |
| 4 | Select the Partner Health Facility and its city or municipality, choose the nature of request, and get a queuing number |
| 5 | Upload each document as a PDF of not more than 2MB, then submit |
Applications may also be filed by email to ncrmap@pcso.gov.ph, or in person at a Malasakit Center where a PCSO representative sits alongside DOH, DSWD and PhilHealth.
PCSO also publishes a list of medicine providers accepting PCSO guarantee letters nationwide, which is worth checking before you choose a pharmacy.
Where this goes wrong
Bringing an abstract older than 3 months. For most treatment types it will be rejected as not updated.
A document without the doctor’s license number. PCSO asks for full name, signature and license number on every physician-signed document.
One quotation where three are required. Implants always need 3, and any medicine not available in the hospital needs 3.
Uploading a photo instead of a PDF, or a file over 2MB. The online system takes PDFs only, up to 2MB each.
Assuming an unidentified patient cannot apply. A certification of unknown identity from the Medical Social Service is on PCSO’s own accepted list.
Going home after discharge without a promissory note. Once discharged, confinement assistance needs a notarised one.
Frequently asked questions
- What does PCSO actually give me?
- A guarantee letter in most cases, addressed to the hospital, pharmacy or diagnostic centre rather than cash to you. PCSO describes MAP as augmenting your funds in partnership with government and private hospitals, health facilities and medicine retailers.
- What does every application need?
- Two things regardless of treatment type: a duly accomplished MAP Application Form, and valid proof of the patient's identity. That can be a government-issued ID, a Medical Social Services-issued ID, a school ID for minors, a birth certificate for newborns up to 5 years old, or a barangay certification for minors not enrolled in school. A valid ID of the next of kin is needed where applicable.
- The patient is unconscious and has no ID. What then?
- PCSO accepts a certification on the unknown identity of the patient issued by the Medical Social Service or a hospital representative. That is an explicit item on their own list.
- How recent must the medical abstract be?
- For recently discharged patients, PCSO requires the clinical or medical abstract or discharge summary to have been issued within the past 3 months for cancer treatment, radiation, dialysis, specialty medicines, diagnostics, implants and rehabilitation. Every physician-signed document must carry the doctor's full name, signature and license number.
- Do I need to use my PhilHealth first?
- Usually yes, but PCSO lists three situations where no PhilHealth deduction is required: transfer to another hospital, confinement of less than 24 hours, and patients attended to in the emergency room. For end stage renal disease and chronic kidney disease, PhilHealth members must show a certification of benefit exhaustion, though acute renal failure is excepted.
- When do I need three quotations instead of one?
- When the medicine is not available in the hospital, PCSO asks for official quotations from 3 different suppliers instead of one hospital quotation. Orthopedic implants and medical devices always require 3 supplier quotations plus a schedule of operation certified by the attending physician.
- Can I apply online?
- Yes. Register at pcso.gov.ph under E-Services, Online MAP Application, validate by email, then log in with your name, date of birth and email and enter the one-time password. You select the Partner Health Facility, get a queuing number, then upload each document as a PDF of not more than 2MB. Applications may also be emailed to ncrmap@pcso.gov.ph.
- I was already discharged. Is it too late?
- No, but confinement assistance then requires a notarised promissory note signed by you or your representative and noted by the hospital's authorised representative, on top of the billing statement and the medical abstract.