Sen. Bam Aquino on Wednesday urged the government to increase funding for the Zero Balance Billing program to expand healthcare access for more Filipinos.
The senator made the call after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) told the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) that P20 billion is required to implement the program under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
“I find 20 billion relatively low, because if it is only 20 billion, that means we could have achieved it maybe three or four years ago,” Aquino said.
According to him, the Zero Balance Billing scheme is designed to ensure patients can be admitted to hospitals without paying out-of-pocket expenses. He stressed that the program should not be limited to a small segment of society but should be a dependable option for Filipinos seeking hospital care.
“How much is needed for the majority of Filipinos to be able to experience Zero Balance Billing in our hospitals? Maybe what we will slash from other budgets will be enough to fund that,” Aquino said.
The lawmaker then pressed government agencies to present a more comprehensive proposal that would cover additional sectors beyond the currently identified beneficiaries.
He proposed a three to five-year plan that would increase funding annually until the program reaches full implementation.
