Gatchalian proposes P49.2B reallocation for zero-balance billing in public hospitals

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian proposed reallocating the P49.2 billion budget of the Health department's medical financial aid program to bolster the "zero-balance billing" initiative in public hospitals, aiming to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for patients.

The zero-balance billing program, managed by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), currently covers the full cost of services like room and board, medicines, and laboratory tests for patients in ward-type accommodations.

Senator Gatchalian believes this consolidation would streamline healthcare access and prevent patients from needing to seek aid from politicians, thereby removing political influence from critical medical decisions.

He emphasized the need to reform the Universal Health Care system to guarantee that all Filipinos can access quality health services without facing financial difficulties.