SONA: Marcos touts zero-balance billing, expanded healthcare benefits
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said three million Filipinos have received free medical services through the government's Zero-Balance Billing policy in Department of Health (DOH) hospitals.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address, Marcos highlighted improvements in the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program, including the rollout of e-MAIFIP, which is integrated into the eGovPH app to make medical assistance more accessible without requiring guarantee letters.
The President said more than 65 million Filipinos and their families are now using the eGovPH platform, while over 8 million patients have benefited from MAIFIP.
"Sa ating ginawang mga pagbabago, mas marami pa itong matutulungan, anumang antas sa lipunan. Paraan natin ito upang mapakinabangan ng mamamayan ang buwis na kanilang binabayaran," Marcos said.
He also underscored the government's Universal Health Care program, saying 4.5 million of the 25 million Filipinos enrolled in the Yaman ng Kalusugan (YAKAP) Program have already availed of healthcare services this year.
Marcos said the government aims to expand the number of clinics participating in YAKAP to provide patients with more treatment options.
He also highlighted the Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (GAMOT) program, under which PhilHealth members may receive medicines from 2,000 accredited providers with an annual benefit limit of P20,000.
According to the President, 77 essential medicines, including treatments for hypertension, diabetes, asthma, cough, colds and other illnesses, are now covered under the program, with about 300,000 Filipinos receiving free medicines during the first seven months of the year.
Marcos added that PhilHealth plans to further expand its benefits by covering additional laboratory tests next year, including screening for liver disease, thyroid disorders and hepatitis B, while increasing support for cancer, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and children with developmental disabilities. He said therapy sessions for children with developmental disabilities are planned to increase from 90 to 150 sessions.
