The Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday that four government-run specialty hospitals will receive an additional P1 billion under the proposed 2026 national budget.
The beneficiaries are the Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and the Philippine Heart Center.
The allocation forms part of efforts to expand Zero Balance Billing services initiated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
In a social media post, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa thanked the President for the funding, saying it would help strengthen the Universal Health Care system.
As government-owned and controlled corporations, the hospitals typically maintain a 70% private bed capacity and 30% public.
With the additional budget, public services, including Zero Balance Billing, will be expanded to allow more patients to undergo complex medical procedures without out-of-pocket expenses.
Zero Balance Billing was first implemented in DOH hospitals following the 2025 State of the Nation Address and benefited more than one million patients before the year ended.
