Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, 16 December, pushed for the allocation of P15 billion in the 2026 budget for zero balance billing in hospitals run by local government units (LGUs).

Hontiveros noted that this would come from the P51 billion fund approved by the panel for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program.

"If this special provision is accepted in the budget, we can guarantee that P15 billion or 30 percent of the P51 billion for MAIFIP will go to LGU hospitals for free treatment under zero balance billing," she said in Filipino.

"I hope the Senate bicam contingent will be open to accepting my proposal, because we have already responded to the Department of Health (DOH)'s request to expand the coverage of zero balance billing to LGU hospitals by allocating P1 billion for this in our version of the 2026 budget," she added.

She furthered that the purpose of the bill is to direct medical assistance to hospitals so that they can distribute it to "whoever needs it."

"Whoever needs assistance, it will be provided to them immediately. No conditions, no strings attached," she added.

Under the bill, patients may apply for medical assistance through registered social workers who must process their application within 72 hours instead of applying for guarantee letters.

DOH supports zero balance billing expansion

Meanwhile, the DOH expressed support for the Senate amendment to the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) that introduced funding for zero balance billing expansion to LGU hospitals.

In a statement sent to reporters, DOH Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said it will allow Filipinos to avail of the zero balance billing even in level 3 large LGU-owned hospitals.

Domingo, however, said that the DOH is also proposing that a Special Provision be attached to the MAIFIP "so that most of it will go to the zero balance billing expansion to LGU hospitals."

Currently, the zero balance billing program only covers the full cost of services provided to patients under basic or ward accommodation in hospitals run by the DOH.

Through the special provision, more Filipinos can get free hospitalization under the zero balance billing and not only patients of the 86 DOH hospitals.