It will be available for PhilHealth contributors, Malacañang told.
According to Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro during a Palace briefing on Tuesday, the Department of Health (DOH) is studying the issuance of a new Memorandum Circular (MC).
According to her, this new measure will direct all hospitals run by the department nationwide to cover under the zero balance billing policy the medical bills of patients who directly contribute to PhilHealth.
“Mag-uutos ito sa lahat ng DOH hospitals na maging zero balance billing ang mga pay wards para sa mga direct contributors ng PhilHealth,” she said.
At present, the zero balance billing policy is applicable only to basic or ward accommodation in DOH hospitals.
In his prior directive, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the DOH and the state insurer to expand the zero balance billing program, which was previously exclusive to indigent patients, to cover middle-class contributors.
According to the Palace, more than one million Filipinos have benefitted from the government’s zero balance billing policy, which ensures that patients admitted to a basic or ward accommodation in a DOH-run hospital will have all medical expenses fully covered.
Under the 2026 national budget, PHP17.39 billion was allocated for the zero balance billing program.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa had previously announced that PHP1 billion would be allocated this year to implement the zero balance billing policy in select secondary and tertiary local government unit (LGU) hospitals.