PhilHealth-7 made a significant push to strengthen access to high-tier health services as it launched the first-ever Regional Z Benefit Summit on 26 June at the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.

The summit brought together Level 3 hospitals and select Level 2 facilities across Central Visayas to revisit and improve the implementation of the Z Benefit Package — PhilHealth’s specialized coverage for catastrophic and life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, end-stage kidney disease, congenital heart defects and major surgeries requiring prostheses or implants.

Dr. Kier Tamparong, head of the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Section of PhilHealth-7, emphasized the human-centered approach at the core of the program.

“At the heart of every policy, every system, and every decision is a human life,” he noted.

PhilHealth-7 regional vice president Marjorie Cabrieto called for stronger collaboration with healthcare providers to close existing gaps in Z Benefit access.

“We want to encourage, we want to invite, and we want to pursue the contracting of more health facilities for Z Benefits,” she said.

Cabrieto noted that PhilHealth-7 is actively working to expand its network of contracted hospitals, highlighting Silliman University Medical Center (SUMC) in Negros Oriental as a potential first partner in the province. Other prospective Z Benefit providers include Cebu Velez General Hospital, Cebu Doctor’s University Hospital, Chong Hua Hospital, Southwestern University Medical Center, VisayasMed Hospital, St. Anthony Mother & Child Hospital, Eversley Childs Sanitarium & General Hospital and Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital.

First launched in 2012, the Z Benefit Package was created to provide affordable, state-of-the-art medical care to Filipinos with catastrophic illnesses — ensuring that even those with the most severe and costly conditions can access life-saving treatment in accredited facilities.

One of the key highlights of the summit was a presentation from Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), the first Z Benefit-contracted hospital in Central Visayas and one of the program’s national pioneers.

Dr. Jun Maximo Lasco II, focal person of VSMMC’s Regional Heart Center, shared how the hospital’s journey began in 2014 with virtually no cardiac infrastructure, staff, or post-op facilities. Despite these limitations, VSMMC pushed forward with support from PhilHealth and the Department of Health.

“This kind of project is never a singular effort. Someone had to say yes to care that saves lives,” Dr. Lasco said.

Since then, the hospital has successfully performed 87 Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) procedures under the Z Benefit program — with 100 percent success and zero mortality — and has since established a full cardiac rehabilitation unit.

“We started from zero — and now, we’ve changed lives. That’s the power of Z Benefit,” he added.

The event concluded with the recognition of five leading contracted hospitals: VSMMC, Perpetual Succour Hospital, Cebu South Medical Center, University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMed) and Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Medical Center in Bohol for their commitment to delivering specialized care under the Z Benefit program.

In uniting health leaders, sharing breakthroughs, and reaffirming commitment to equitable care, the summit underscored a powerful message moving forward:

“Z” now stands for Zero Barriers.