Around 18 million Filipinos are expected to benefit from the Senate’s move to allocate P62.6 billion for the Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) Program in DOH hospitals next year, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.
The 2026 NEP originally set P53.3 billion for ZBB to cover 16 million patients, but senators added P9.3 billion so 2 million more can avail of zero out-of-pocket costs.
Under ZBB, the government shoulders all expenses for patients in basic or ward accommodations of DOH hospitals—room fees, lab tests, professional fees, and more.
Gatchalian said the expanded funding aims to build “healthier and safer communities.”
The Senate also added P1 billion each for the Lung Center of the Philippines, the Philippine Heart Center, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center to strengthen their ZBB services.IMT
