(Photo courtesy of DOH)
PAMPANGA – The Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) have secured an agreement with private hospitals in Pampanga to implement the No Balance Billing (NBB) policy, aiming to eliminate additional hospital expenses for qualified patients.
DOH Secretary Edwin Mercado and PhilHealth President and CEO Dr. Beverly Ho met with representatives of private hospitals through the assistance of Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda to strengthen cooperation in delivering affordable healthcare services.
Under the signed agreement, patients admitted to ward or basic accommodations in participating private hospitals should no longer be required to pay additional hospital charges, with expenses covered through applicable PhilHealth benefits and DOH support.
Mercado emphasized the important role of private healthcare institutions in advancing the Unified National Agenda for Health, which seeks to strengthen the implementation of Universal Health Care across the country.
He stressed that cooperation between public and private healthcare providers is essential to ensuring that Filipinos have access to quality and affordable medical services.
Meanwhile, Ho assured local government units and hospitals that PhilHealth would continue improving its systems to provide faster, fairer, and more reliable healthcare financing.
The initiative is expected to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for patients, particularly those requiring hospital admission and treatment.
The DOH said the partnership highlights the importance of coordinated efforts among national government agencies, local governments, and private healthcare institutions in improving healthcare accessibility.
Through the agreement, health officials aim to expand financial protection for patients while strengthening the delivery of essential medical services in Pampanga.
