During his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted the "increased and improved" benefits provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for all Filipinos.

"If you or your family member has heart disease, don't worry, your treatment for heart attacks, open heart surgery, and heart valve repair or replacement is covered by PhilHealth," Marcos said.

"We also have a Cancer Assistance Fund, an additional fund for the treatment of our cancer patients. There is also a fund for the vaccine against the human papillomavirus that causes many types of cancer," he added.

For other types of cancer not covered by the state insurer, Marcos said the government has set aside P1.7 billion to purchase the necessary medicines.

To those undergoing dialysis, Marcos announced that sessions three times a week will now be free for the entire year, including necessary medications.

"If a kidney transplant is needed, we have increased the limit to P2.1 million, and this year, PhilHealth also covers services and medications after kidney transplant surgery," he noted.

"So if you need a transplant, don't be afraid of the cost because PhilHealth will cover it," he added.

Meanwhile, dengue and cataract removal patients will now receive increased PhilHealth coverage of P47,000 and P187,000, respectively.

Various outpatient services have also been added to PhilHealth’s list of covered procedures.

"If you need to bring someone in an emergency, don't hesitate to rush them to the hospital. PhilHealth will cover that. If your child's vision becomes blurry and they need to have their lens grade measured, this will also be covered by PhilHealth," Marcos said.

The President also assured the public that the government is expediting PhilHealth’s payment processes for hospitals and clinics to ensure uninterrupted service to patients.