THE Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said that it will set aside a “special area” in DOH-run hospitals exclusively for direct contributors of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said that the agency will issue a Department Memorandum Circular directing all DOH hospitals to provide free accommodation in wards or shared rooms for PhilHealth direct contributors.
“I, as the DOH secretary, can now order all DOH hospitals through a Department Memorandum Circular to allocate a special area for direct contributors, our working class, or our middle class who want to accommodate zero balance billing in our hospitals,” Herbosa said in Filipino.
He said that the initiative aims to provide improved facilities for middle-income patients, including better accommodations and air-conditioned rooms.
Doubt about the proposal
Health reform advocate Dr. Tony Leachon, however, said he is apprehensive about the agency’s plan, citing what he called “repeated promises” and a poor track record.
“In the face of repeated promises, I remain apprehensive. I cannot simply believe in rhetoric when the record speaks otherwise,” he told The Manila Times.
Leachon pointed out that the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the government’s P60 billion transfer of PhilHealth funds to the national treasury and how, in 2025, the government provided no subsidy to PhilHealth, resulting in a P74 billion funding gap.
He emphasized that the government’s initiatives so far do not offer lasting solutions.
“These are not solutions. These are promises deferred,” Leachon said.
As an alternative, he proposed transferring the budgets of Maifip, the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation, and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program directly to PhilHealth.
He said consolidating these funds under PhilHealth could help reduce out-of-pocket health expenses to 10 percent and provide meaningful relief to Filipino families.
“Enough of failed promises. What our people need is not rhetoric, but decisive action that strengthens PhilHealth, upholds the Universal Health Care Law, and restores trust in our health system,” he said.
