Free pay wards eyed for PhilHealth members

The government is considering extending the Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) policy to cover pay wards or shared rooms for direct contributors of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in all Department of Health (DoH) hospitals, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the DoH is studying the issuance of a department memorandum circular that would direct all DoH-run hospitals nationwide to include PhilHealth direct contributors admitted to pay wards under the ZBB policy.

“As part of President Marcos Jr.’s directive that no Filipino should struggle to access healthcare services, the DoH, led by Secretary Ted Herbosa, is now studying the issuance of a department memorandum circular,” Castro said.

“This will instruct all DoH hospitals to apply zero balance billing to pay wards for PhilHealth direct contributors,” she added.

At present, the ZBB policy applies only to patients admitted to basic or ward accommodations in DoH hospitals.

Under the ZBB program, patients admitted to the basic wards of any of the 87 DoH-operated hospitals are not required to pay out-of-pocket expenses, regardless of economic status.

Hospital and professional fees incurred by patients covered under the ZBB policy are charged to the applicable PhilHealth benefit package, with any remaining balance shouldered by the DoH hospital’s maintenance and other operating expenses budget.