The Department of Health (DOH) announced that the Zero-Balance Billing (ZBB) program has already spared around 298,221 poor patients from paying hospital bills, covering a combined P26.4 billion in medical expenses.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa hailed the milestone, saying President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has personally seen the joy of patients being discharged without worrying about payments. “This is a milestone. The President has witnessed firsthand the happiness of patients who go home without paying a single centavo,” Herbosa said in a radio interview.
He added that the ZBB brings the country closer to the administration’s push for universal health coverage. Under the program, patients in DOH hospitals no longer need to pay for services, medicines, or doctors’ professional fees.
The initiative has also boosted hospital access, with daily admissions in DOH facilities rising from 3,297 to 4,067 since the policy was rolled out.
President Marcos emphasized the government’s commitment during his July 28 State of the Nation Address: “We have continued the zero balance billing. It’s free.”
Funding for the program is drawn from the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, and DOH hospital allocations. The support comes on top of existing coverage from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
The DOH assured that ZBB will continue in 2026, with its proposed PHP320 billion budget focusing heavily on expanding universal health care. Of this, PHP260.2 billion is earmarked for ZBB, deployment of health professionals, and related programs.