Senior Citizens Partylist Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes has filed a measure seeking to end the “institutionalized discrimination” by some health maintenance organizations (HMOs) against the elderly.

Under House Bill (HB) 2722, or the proposed “Anti-Age Discrimination in Health Care Services Act,” HMOs and similar health care providers would be prohibited from denying health coverage, imposing age limits, or charging excessive premiums solely because of a person’s age.

“Some HMOs either deny access outright or impose excessive premiums and limited benefits based solely on age, effectively excluding our elderly population from private health coverage at the time they need it most,” Ordanes said.

The bill would ban the following practices:

Refusing to enroll seniors in health plans or programs based on age;

Setting maximum age limits for membership or renewal;

Withholding services or benefits under an existing plan due to age;

Charging higher premiums or reducing benefits without actuarial justification and Insurance Commission approval.

Violators could face fines of ₱100,000 to ₱500,000 and suspension or revocation of licenses and accreditation.

Ordanes, newly elected vice chair of the House Committee on Senior Citizens, said the measure affirms seniors’ constitutional right to equal protection of the law and ensures no elderly Filipino is left behind in the health care system.