EXECUTIVE Secretary Ralph Recto met with Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) President and CEO Edwin Mercado to discuss system-wide solutions that will ensure the efficient implementation of the administration’s Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) policy.
A statement issued by the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) on Sunday said Recto urged the DOH and PhilHealth to further expand benefits and packages “especially for middle class who are consistently paying their taxes and contributions.”
The executive secretary said these contributors should receive benefits commensurate with their contributions.
As of December 2025, more than 1 million patients have benefited from Zero Balance Billing.
The DOH test-runs the program in provincial hospitals being run by local government units to eliminate out-of-pocket medical expenses for eligible patients.
It said P1 billion from the P448.125 billion allocated for the health sector in the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) will be for local government hospitals, covering in-patient services in basic accommodation.
The budget also provides funding for disease surveillance, rapid response mechanisms, and sustainable health financing.
P130 billion went to PhilHealth, including the P60 billion ordered restored in accordance with a Supreme Court decision.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Zero Balance Billing implementation in his State of the Nation Address last July.
The DOH is in the final stage of completing its DOH-LGU Healthcare Provider Network model, which is aimed at supporting local governments that provide higher-level care.
