Marcos wants issues in zero balance billing system be addressed

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said Monday that he wants to address the issues and challenges hounding the implementation of the zero balance billing system.

In his speech during the distribution of patient transport vehicles in Ormoc City, Leyte, Marcos mentioned that he had heard challenges being experienced by patients, including long lines at the hospitals. 

Marcos said he would go to a hospital in Tacloban City to personally check the implementation. 

''As a matter of fact, mula rito we will be going to Tacloban to look at the... tetestingin namin 'yung sistema ng zero billing dahil mayroon kaming nadidinig na mahaba ang pila, na mahirap pa rin,'' Marcos said. 

(As a matter of fact, from here, we will be going to Tacloban to check the zero balance billing system because we heard some issues that the lines are long and that the process is still difficult for patients.) 

''Titingnan natin paano natin aayusin para ang pasyente papasok, it's an out-patient service, ang pasyente papasok, magpapatingin, bibigyan ng reseta o kung ano ang kailangan para gamutin, pagkatapos ng konsultasyon, pupunta siya sa pharmacy, pwede na siya bumili... mayroon 'yung reseta, may credit 'yun,'' he added. 

(We will look into so that it can be addressed. It's an out-patient service, the patient will go to the hospital, will undergo check-up, and then he/she will be given a prescription and whatever he/she needs, he/she will go to the pharmacy with his/her receipt and it will be credited.) 

As part of the zero balance billing system, Marcos said the government continues to accredit pharmacies so patients will no longer pay for their medicines. 

In his fourth State of the Nation Address last July 28, Marcos announced that the government would cover all expenses incurred by Filipinos at Department of Health (DOH) hospitals.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa earlier said that patients must be admitted to the basic accommodation or ward for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to foot 100% of the bill.

The PhilHealth  had said that they do not ask for any additional documentation from patients in DOH hospitals when availing zero-balance billing. 

In a separate media statement, Marcos said the DOH should guarantee that personnel in its hospitals should know the process of this zero balance billing system.

As part of his visit to Leyte, Marcos went to the DOH - Eastern Visayas Medical Center (DOH EVMC) to reaffirm his administration’s commitment to providing accessible, equitable, and high-quality healthcare for every Filipino. 

The DOH EVMC is a Level 3 tertiary hospital with an implementing bed capacity of 1100. 

It provides critical health services not only to patients from Tacloban City and Leyte, but also from Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Biliran, and even from neighboring provinces. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News