Four major specialty hospitals in the country are set to receive an additional P1 billion in funding under the 2026 national budget to expand services for public patients and strengthen the government’s “Zero Balance Billing” (ZBB) program.
The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Saturday that the budget augmentation will be shared among the Lung Center of the Philippines, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), and the Philippine Heart Center.
According to the DOH, the additional P1 billion will be integrated into the operational budgets of these government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs).
The move aims to shift the current service ratio, which by law typically mandates that 70 percent of specialty hospital beds are for private use while 30 percent are for the public.
“Because of the additional P1 billion funding for the operational budget, public services will expand along with the Zero Balance Billing,” the DOH stated in a social media post.
The ZBB policy ensures that indigent patients admitted to basic or ward accommodations do not have to pay out-of-pocket expenses. Under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the DOH is also working to eliminate the need for “guarantee letters” from politicians, transitioning instead to a system where health services are provided as a direct right to citizens.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa recently emphasized that the goal is to make specialized medical care more accessible to those who need it most.
The funding boost comes as part of a broader health sector budget for 2026, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed earlier this month.
In addition to the specialty hospital funds, the government has also allocated P1 billion to support zero-balance billing in selected local government unit (LGU)-owned hospitals, prioritizing Level 2 and Level 3 facilities in provinces far from national medical centers.