MANILA, Philippines – In his fourth State of the Nation Handle (SONA) on Monday, July 28, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. introduced that further funds can be given to Division of Well being (DOH) hospitals as a part of the federal government’s zero-balance billing program.
It’s a promise that was met with each hope and skepticism from abnormal Filipinos and well being employees.
The zero-balance billing program supposedly goals to ease the monetary burden of healthcare prices, particularly for indigent Filipinos, by guaranteeing that sufferers admitted to DOH hospitals now not should shoulder their medical bills.
All 87 DOH-run hospitals at the moment are required to 100% cowl the prices for fundamental lodging, together with medical doctors’ charges, medication, lab exams, and different important providers, with no hidden expenses.
That is shouldn’t be a brand new coverage. It builds on PhilHealth’s No Stability Billing (NBB) coverage, launched in 2011, which aimed to guard indigent sufferers from paying medical payments in authorities hospitals. It was later strengthened beneath the Common Well being Care Act of 2019.
Hope meets actuality
On-line, Filipino social media customers responded with hope but additionally raised issues concerning the cracks within the public well being system.
Within the feedback part of Rappler’s Fb web page, Rose Yette Palma stated in Filipino, “If all of that is true and turns into actual, we ought to be completely happy and assist it.”
She additionally emphasised that the coverage is supposed to learn everybody, particularly those that are poor and lack entry to medical care and hospitalization.
For others, this program might have a significant impression if all authorities hospitals really provide free providers. “The cash meant for payments can as a substitute go towards nutritious meals to assist sufferers get well and assist their households,” in keeping with a shared submit.
However not everyone seems to be satisfied. There are doubts about whether or not zero-balance billing can deal with the systemic points confronted by the nation’s well being sector on account of gaps in sources, corresponding to higher services and ample hospital gear.
Some on-line sentiments additionally mirror how individuals see the promise of zero-billing as missing. Whereas hospital providers are free, they identified that sufferers are nonetheless burdened by the necessity to purchase medication outdoors of presidency hospitals on account of frequent inventory shortages.
“What’s the purpose of [zero billing] if the services in authorities hospitals are usually not even sufficient?” Daryl Lynn Vilbar stated in a mixture of English and Filipino.
These issues come amid huge funds cuts that might have an effect on how lengthy applications like ZBB can proceed.
Within the 2025 nationwide funds, the bicameral convention committee allotted zero subsidies to PhilHealth, elevating issues about how hospitals can maintain applications like ZBB with out dependable authorities assist.
Moreover, well being employees are overworked and underpaid, usually on unstable contracts. This drives many Filipino nurses and medical doctors to go overseas, leaving native hospitals understaffed and overburdened.
Is it sufficient?
Past funds and staffing issues, some frontline employees and advocates say the coverage itself shouldn’t be as cost-efficient and expansive because it appears.
Throughout a real-time group chat within the Philippine Politics chat room of the Rappler app on the day of the SONA, well being employee Oli Acosta, who has been working at a DOH hospital since 2020, reminded that this isn’t a brand new coverage.
Since he began working, he stated the affected person turnover was comparatively sooner due to the coverage, and sufferers have been usually despatched dwelling with free medicines so long as the hospital had provides.
“However then once more, it really isn’t sufficient. DOH hospitals are principally within the Metro. I hoped this coverage would lengthen to different authorities hospitals, as effectively,” Acosta stated.
Of over 721 authorities hospitals within the Philippines, solely a small fraction are DOH-managed, leaving many Filipinos, particularly in distant areas, uncovered.
Public well being care can be not all the time inexpensive, with confinement prices in public hospitals tripling from 2013 to 2022, rising sooner than in non-public hospitals and forcing many sufferers to nonetheless pay out of pocket.
Council for Individuals’s Growth and Governance media and communications officer Kayla de Quiroz additionally stated that personal hospitals have extra beds than authorities hospitals, and most of the people depend upon native and personal hospitals the place ZBB doesn’t apply.
As a well being care employee herself, Estrelita Dacara urged the federal government to additionally take care of the well-being of these within the medical subject. She referred to as for decrease taxes, stating that many like her are sinking into debt simply to make ends meet. “Sana po bigyan din ng pansin (I hope that is additionally given consideration),” she appealed.
In response to knowledge from IBON Basis, there have been extra non-public than public hospitals in 2021. Non-public hospitals additionally had extra beds, 58,927, in comparison with 50,966 in public services.
These numbers echo rising demand for broader healthcare reforms.
Can the zero-balance billing attain those that want it most with out wider protection and reform, or will it depart the weak behind? Obtain the Rappler app at no cost on the Play Retailer or App Retailer and share your ideas within the Philippine Politics chat room. – with reviews from Samaya Ty/Rappler.com
Samaya Ty is a Rappler intern from the College of Santo Tomas. She is a junior pupil taking on Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
