Zero balance billing only in basic wards — DOH
'Zero balance' in action. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. presented the media a Statement of Account of a patient showing zero balance. The patient was confined at the hospital for three weeks, two of which in the Intensive Care Unit after sustaining wounds from a stabbing incident.
Presidential Communications Office
The Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday reminded the public that the government’s zero balance billing program applies only to patients who agree to be admitted to the basic accommodation of DOH hospitals.
DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said basic accommodation refers to shared wards, usually with two to three patients in one room, depending on the hospital’s setup.
The wards were previously called “charity wards” but have since been rebranded to emphasize that such services are entitlements under Universal Health Care.
“It is no longer the same as before, when people would think of these wards as smelly or cramped. They have improved,” Domingo said in Filipino.
Domingo also explained that unlike the earlier implementation of the program in 2011, which was reserved for indigent patients screened for eligibility, the current scheme applies to all individuals regardless of income level, as long as they agree to be admitted to basic accommodation.
The benefit covers the full cost of hospitalization, including doctors’ professional fees, room charges, medicines, and major surgeries. Medicines should also be provided directly by the hospital pharmacy.
“If you are asked to buy medicines outside, report it through hotline 8888. The order given to us is that all necessary medicines should be available,” he said.
Patients who wish to avail of the zero balance billing program must be PhilHealth members. Even if their hospital expenses exceed the PhilHealth benefit package, they will not be charged additional fees as long as they are admitted to a DOH hospital.
Last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa to ensure hospitals properly implement the zero balance billing amid reports of long queues.