President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving healthcare access for Filipinos, spotlighting the implementation of zero-balance billing in Department of Health (DOH) hospitals and a wide range of expanded PhilHealth services.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos announced that patients availing of basic accommodation in government-run hospitals no longer need to pay out of pocket. “Libre po. Ibig sabihin ang serbisyo sa basic accommodation sa ating mga DOH na hospital, wala nang babayaran ang pasyente, dahil bayad na ang bill ninyo,” he said.
The president acknowledged that many public hospitals are under financial pressure, struggling to cover costs for medicines and medical support. To address this, he said the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) would shoulder programs like the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), alongside support from PCSO and PAGCOR.
Marcos also pointed to the development of 50 Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service (BUCAS) centers across 30 provinces since the start of his term, offering free outpatient services like x-rays and lab tests to those who don’t need confinement. Each center serves over 500 patients per day, based on earlier reports from the Palace.
To further boost preventive care, he highlighted PhilHealth’s “YAKAP Caravan” initiative, which aims to provide free primary care services, essential medicine, and screenings — including cancer diagnostics — in underserved areas.
The president noted PhilHealth’s broadened support for patients with heart conditions and its Cancer Assistance Fund, which offers additional aid for treatment. He also said dialysis patients now receive full coverage for up to three weekly sessions year-round.
For those needing kidney transplants, the coverage ceiling has been raised from P600,000 to P2.1 million. “Kung kailangan talaga na magpa-transplant, huwag po kayong matakot sa gastos dahil sagot na ng PhilHealth,” Marcos said.
Additional benefits include PhilHealth-funded treatment for dengue, eye conditions, emergency cases, and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities.
Addressing longstanding issues over delayed payments to hospitals, Marcos vowed to accelerate reimbursement processes. “Pinabibilis pa natin ang proseso ng pagbayad ng PhilHealth sa mga ospital at mga klinika, para naman siguradong maayos at hindi naaantala ang kanilang serbisyo sa mga pasyente,” he added.
As of May 2024, PhilHealth reported over 50 million contributors, with coverage extending to more than 87 million Filipinos, including dependents.
