MANILA (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN): President Ferdinand Marcos Jr wants all Department of Health (DOH)–run hospitals to be proficient in the zero balance billing procedure to ensure smoother patient-hospital transactions.
He made the statement after visiting the Eastern Visayas Medical Center in Tacloban City, Leyte, to personally check whether zero balance billing is being properly implemented.
“We just have to make sure that all hospitals across the Philippines know the procedure since this is new,” the president said at a brief media statement.
“But I think they can manage, because it’s very clear what PhilHealth [Philippine Health Insurance Corporation] is, what the DOH is, and who is qualified. Almost everyone is qualified,” he continued.
Marcos said he has directed Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa to see to it that hospitals are well-versed in the zero balance billing process.
“So that’s what we are seeing here. Alright, let’s just keep going, keep moving forward. We will continue to improve this. This is a good development, but there is still much to be done for the healthcare system — and we can do it. We will definitely see real improvements,” he said.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address last July, Marcos announced that patients who will be admitted “for basic accommodation services in our DOH hospitals, patients will no longer have to pay because your bill has already been settled.”
This, however, only applies to basic or ward accommodation. The list of hospitals under DOH supervision and control can be found here.
Before he visited Eastern Visayas Medical Center, Marcos led the distribution of 124 patient transport vehicles for Eastern Visayas in Ormoc City.
In his speech, Marcos said the government is encouraging healthcare workers to stay and serve in the Philippines as part of his administration’s goal to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
“You know, our nurses and doctors are thinking of leaving and working abroad. But we are encouraging them to stay. They are Filipinos; of course, they want to help their own people,” Marcos said. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
