‘2026 budget responsive to SC ruling on PhilHealth funds’

Within three to five years, Filipinos should be able to walk into hospitals without paying out of their pockets.

- By NEIL JAYSON SERVALLOS

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian raised this scenario yesterday as he reported strengthened government health financing through increased funding for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and zero-balance billing.

Gatchalian said the proposed 2026 budget is responsive to the recent Supreme Court (SC) decision ordering the return to PhilHealth of P60 billion previously remitted by the national government to the Bureau of the Treasury.

The Senate finance committee chairman said the 2026 national budget now includes two PhilHealth components: the regular government subsidy of P53 billion and the P60 billion ordered returned by the President and the SC.

This brings PhilHealth’s incoming funding for 2026 to P113 billion, excluding reserve funds the agency already holds.

Gatchalian said he hopes this level of support “eventually” leads to a point where Filipinos no longer have to shell out cash from their pockets when they go to hospitals, with zero-balance billing covering patients in government hospitals and PhilHealth reimbursements supporting those in private facilities.

He added that the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP) program can serve as additional support in cases where hospitals exceed capacity.

“MAIP can be used there. In other words, when people go to the hospital, (health services) will be free. They won’t have to worry whether they have money or not,” he told radio dzBB.