Section 28. Affordability.—

1. DOH-owned health care providers shall procure drugs and devices guided by price reference indices, following centrally negotiated prices, sell them following the prescribed maximum mark-ups, and submit to DOH a price list of all drugs and devices procured and sold by the health care provider.

2. An independent price negotiation board, composed of representatives from the DOH, PhilHealth and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), among others, shall be constituted to negotiate prices on behalf of the DOH and PhilHealth, guided by certain parameters including new technology, innovator drugs, and sourced from a single supplier: Provided, That the negotiated price in the framework contract shall be applicable for all health care providers under DOH: Provided, further, That the price negotiation board shall adhere to the guidelines issued by the Government Procurement Policy Board.

3. Health care providers and facilities shall be required to make readily accessible to the public and submit to DOH and PhilHealth, all pertinent, relevant, and up-to-date information regarding the prices of health services, and all goods and services being offered.

4. Drug outlets shall be required at all times to carry the generic equivalent of all drugs in the Primary Care Formulary and shall be required to provide customers with a list of therapeutic equivalents and then’ corresponding prices when fulfilling prescriptions or in any transaction.

5. The DOH, PhilHealth, HMOs, life and non-life private health insurance (PHIs) shall develop standard policies and plans that complement the Program’s benefit schedule: Provided, That a coordination mechanism between PhilHealth, PHIs and HMOs shall be set up to ensure that no benefits shall be unnecessarily dropped.