DSWD medical assistance (AICS) 2026: requirements and step-by-step guide

If you or a family member is sick and cannot pay for the hospital bill, medicines, laboratory tests or treatment, you can ask the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for medical assistance under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program. You apply in person at a DSWD Field Office, its Crisis Intervention Unit or Section (CIU/CIS), a SWAD or satellite office, or the DSWD desk of a Malasakit Center inside the hospital. A DSWD social worker interviews you and decides if the help is released as cash or as a guarantee letter to the hospital or provider. There is no yearly deadline; you apply while the need is current.

Last verified: October 12, 2026, against the DSWD AICS FAQ page, the DSWD Citizen’s Charter for AICS, and 2026 DSWD, PIA and PNA reports. Rules, amounts and document lists can change and can differ by office, so call your DSWD office before you go.

Who can apply for DSWD medical assistance

AICS is for individuals and families who are in a crisis right now and need help to cover it. For medical assistance, the crisis is an illness, injury, confinement or ongoing treatment that the family cannot fully pay for.

• The Citizen’s Charter lists indigent, marginalized, vulnerable or disadvantaged individuals and families, or anyone in a crisis situation based on the social worker’s assessment.
• In April 2026, the head of DSWD’s Crisis Intervention Program said AICS is open to anyone in a current crisis, whether poor or middle class. The social worker looks at your situation, your capacity to pay, and what help fits.
• The patient or a family member can transact. The person being interviewed must bring their own valid ID.
• You do not need a referral or guarantee letter from a politician. DSWD has said this repeatedly in 2026.

What DSWD medical assistance can cover

• Hospital bills, for a current confinement or a balance after discharge
• Medicines, including maintenance medicines
• Laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures
• Dialysis, chemotherapy and other special treatment or therapy
• Implants and assistive devices, such as orthopedic implants
• Pre-operation procedures

How much you can get

There is no fixed amount for everyone. The social worker sets it based on your assessment, your documents and available funds. What DSWD has said publicly:

• Outright cash for medical needs goes up to ₱10,000 (DSWD, 2025).
• Requests above ₱10,000 are usually released as a guarantee letter (GL) paid directly to the hospital, pharmacy or provider.
• DSWD Region 10 said in a PIA report that medical assistance generally ranges from ₱1,000 to ₱150,000, and that a social worker may recommend more for serious cases based on a social case study.
• Patients on long-term treatment, like dialysis or chemotherapy, may be given continued assistance, based on the social worker’s recommendation.

Treat these as limits, not promises. Many clients get less than the maximum.

How often you can ask

Based on the DSWD AICS FAQ:

• Hospital bill: once per confinement
• Medicines, laboratory procedures, and special treatment (chemo, dialysis, implants, pre-op): once every three months

If you come back too early, the office will tell you the date you can return.

Requirements: documents to bring

Bring the original or a certified true copy, plus a photocopy. Medical documents must carry the doctor’s full name, signature and license number, and should be issued within the last three months.

Basic requirements for all medical requests

• One valid ID of the person being interviewed. It must not be expired, must have a photo and signature, and the name must be spelled correctly.
• One of these: a medical certificate or clinical abstract, a discharge summary, a certificate of confinement, an Alagang Pinoy Tagubilin form with the diagnosis, or a referral letter from the Malasakit Center.

Add these depending on what you need

• Hospital bill: a temporary or final hospital bill or statement of account signed by the billing clerk, or a certificate of balance or promissory note if the patient has already been discharged.
• Medicines: a prescription or treatment protocol. Bring a price quotation from the pharmacy if the amount is large.
• Laboratory or diagnostic tests: a laboratory request or doctor’s order, and an official price quotation.
• Implants or assistive devices: a prescription for the implant or device and a price quotation from the supplier.
• Dialysis, chemo or other therapy: a treatment protocol, prescription, doctor’s order or quotation. A PhilHealth certification that your benefit has been used up may also be accepted.

For larger amounts

If the request is ₱10,000 or more, the DSWD FAQ says you also need a social case study report or case summary from a registered social worker. You can get one from the city or municipal social welfare office (C/MSWDO), the hospital’s Medical Social Service, or another registered social worker.

What about a barangay certificate of indigency?

It is not on DSWD’s current core list for AICS medical assistance. Some offices, the hospital social service or the local social welfare office may still ask for it, especially for a case study. Getting one is cheap and quick, so bring it if you can.

How to apply, step by step

1. Choose where to go. If the patient is confined in a hospital with a Malasakit Center, go to its DSWD desk first so you do not have to leave the hospital. Otherwise, go to the DSWD Field Office in your region (Crisis Intervention Section), a SWAD or satellite office, or the Crisis Intervention Unit at DSWD Central Office in Batasan, Quezon City. Offices are open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, except holidays.
2. Complete your documents before you go. Check names, dates, signatures and license numbers. Documents older than three months or missing the doctor’s details are the most common reason clients are sent back.
3. Get a queue number. Go early. At the screening desk, staff check your ID, your documents and when you last received assistance. If something is missing, they will tell you what to fix or when to come back.
4. Interview with a social worker. A DSWD social worker interviews you, reviews your documents and fills out the General Intake Sheet and Certificate of Eligibility. Explain the patient’s condition, the total cost, what PhilHealth or other help already covered, and your family’s income honestly.
5. Assessment and approval. The social worker recommends the type and amount of help. If you are not eligible, you should be told why in writing.
6. Release: cash or guarantee letter. Smaller amounts may be released as cash on the same day or through a payout. Larger amounts come as a guarantee letter addressed to the hospital, pharmacy or provider.
7. Use the guarantee letter. Bring the GL to the hospital billing office, or to the pharmacy, laboratory or provider named on it. It is deducted from your bill. You do not get the GL amount as cash.

📌 Read also: How to apply for medical assistance on the eGovPH app (2026 step-by-step guide)

Guarantee letter vs. cash: what is the difference?

• Cash is given to you directly. It is usually for smaller amounts, up to ₱10,000, such as medicines or lab tests.
• A guarantee letter is a promise from DSWD to pay a specific hospital or provider. It is used for larger bills, implants and treatment. It only works at the place named on the letter, and that place must accept DSWD GLs. Some private hospitals and pharmacies are DSWD partners and some are not, so ask the billing office before you request the GL.
• The kind you get depends on the social worker’s assessment and on available funds. Near the end of a year, DSWD has paused GLs before. In late 2025 it stopped issuing them from November 30 and resumed on January 5, 2026, so plan early for December bills.

Not sure if your hospital accepts DSWD help? See our list of hospitals that accept medical assistance in the Philippines.

Tips to get processed faster

• Ask the hospital’s Medical Social Service or Malasakit Center first. They can often prepare the referral letter and the social case study for you.
• Get the latest bill or statement of account on the day you go, and make sure the billing clerk signed it.
• Bring photocopies of everything. Some offices keep the copies.
• If you send a representative, ask the office in advance what they need, such as an authorization letter and the IDs of both the patient and the representative.
• Apply before the patient is discharged if you can. Discharge rules and promissory notes differ by hospital.
• Combine sources. Many families use PhilHealth first, then DSWD, PCSO, or a lawmaker’s office for the balance. See our guides to Malacañang PACe medical assistance, Senate medical assistance, the senators’ medical assistance contact list, and the party-list medical assistance directory.
• Never pay a fixer. AICS is free, and no one can “guarantee” approval for a fee.

Common problems

• Sent back for documents: the medical certificate is older than three months, or it is missing the doctor’s license number or signature. Have it reissued.
• Told to come back on a later date: you already received the same kind of help within the frequency limit.
• Hospital will not accept the GL: the hospital is not a DSWD partner. Ask the social worker to address the GL to a provider that accepts it, or ask the Malasakit Center for other options.
• Long lines: regional offices get crowded, especially on Mondays. Go early and bring food and water.

Questions people ask

Do I need a barangay certificate of indigency for DSWD medical assistance?

It is not on DSWD’s main AICS checklist, but some offices or social workers may ask for it, especially for a social case study. Bring it if you have one.

Can I apply online?

AICS medical assistance is mainly processed in person, because you need an interview with a social worker. Some regional offices post schedules or pre-registration on their Facebook pages, so check your Field Office page before you go.

Can someone else apply for the patient?

Yes. A family member usually transacts for a confined patient. The person interviewed must bring their own valid ID. Ask the office if they also need an authorization letter or the patient’s ID.

Can I get DSWD help if I am not poor?

DSWD said in 2026 that AICS looks at your current crisis and capacity to pay, not only your income. The final decision is still the social worker’s.

Can I get DSWD and PCSO help for the same bill?

Often yes, as long as the total does not go above the bill. Get the help in order and bring proof of what each agency already covered. Malasakit Centers handle this in one place.

Do I need a guarantee letter from a politician?

No. DSWD says referrals from politicians are not required, and the 2026 national budget bars elected officials from taking part in giving out medical and financial aid.

How long does it take?

Simple cash requests with complete documents are often released the same day. Guarantee letters and bigger amounts can take longer, depending on the office and available funds.

Where to go

• Malasakit Center DSWD desk in your hospital, if there is one
• DSWD Field Office in your region (Crisis Intervention Section)
• DSWD SWAD and satellite offices in provinces
• DSWD Crisis Intervention Unit, DSWD Compound, Constitution Hills, Batasan Complex, Quezon City. Tel. 8962-2813 / 8951-7433, ciu@dswd.gov.ph, Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Find your regional office in the directory at dswd.gov.ph or message the DSWD Facebook page, @dswdserves.

Source

• DSWD AICS FAQ (requirements and frequency): https://aics.dswd.gov.ph/about-us/faqs/
• DSWD Interactive Kiosk, AICS medical assistance Citizen’s Charter: https://kiosk.dswd.gov.ph/?page_id=297
• DSWD, “1M Pinoys receive medical aid from DSWD’s AICS in 1st half of 2025”: dswd.gov.ph
• PIA, “DSWD’s AICS offers up to P150K in medical assistance”: pia.gov.ph
• PNA, “DSWD’s AICS remains accessible amid energy-saving work scheme” (April 2026): pna.gov.ph

Pilipinas Guide is not the DSWD and does not accept applications or issue guarantee letters.