Health Secretary Ted Herbosa announced that road crash victims who violated traffic rules—such as riding without a helmet, driving without a seatbelt, or being under the influence of alcohol—will no longer be entitled to the Department of Health’s (DOH) zero balance billing program.
“If you are admitted because you are not wearing a helmet, you are not wearing a seatbelt, you were drinking, you are now disqualified from the zero balance bill,” Herbosa said in a press conference alongside Jean Todt, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, on Thursday, September 11.
Herbosa clarified, however, that emergency care will still be given. “We do not deny care, what we will do is bill them when they get discharged,” he explained.
The DOH chief stressed that patients injured through no fault of their own will continue to be covered. “If they are admitted in any of our trauma centers and any of our DOH hospitals, they are covered by the zero balance, especially if the road crash is not their fault,” he said.
Although a date for implementation has yet to be set, Herbosa said the directive will soon be circulated to all government hospitals. The move is part of the DOH’s intensified push for road safety.
The announcement follows alarming statistics from the Philippine Statistics Authority, which reported 13,125 land transport accidents in 2023—the highest in over a decade. Transport-related fatalities accounted for 1.9% of all deaths nationwide, with the majority involving young adults aged 20 to 24.
Zero balance billing, mandated under the Universal Healthcare Law, ensures free basic accommodation in DOH hospitals, including meals, shared rooms, and standard facilities. The program currently applies to 87 hospitals nationwide.
