MANILA — A week after the Marcos Jr. administration defended its decision to transfer P60 billion in excess Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) funds to the national treasury, Malacañang said on Wednesday that more than a million patients have benefited from the government’s Zero Balance Billing policy.

In just 4 months, 1.78 million patients are expected to benefit from Zero Balance Billing, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said Palace reporters.

“Ayon sa pamunuan ng DOH (Department of Health), patuloy ang full implementation ng zero balance billing sa mga DOH hospitals upang tiyakin ang lubos ang alagang maibibigay ng programa sa sambayanang Pilipino,” she stated.

“Makakaasa ang mga kababayan natin na mananatiling abot-kamay ang maayos na kalidad na serbisyo ng pampublikong hospital at libre ang pagpapagamot para sa mga lubos na nangangailangan na mga kababayan natin,” she stated.

Additionally, the Palace underscored that millions of health health care workers Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) was funded by the P60 billion PhilHealth fund.

“Ayon sa report ng Department of Health noong Martes, umaabot halos sa 6 million na health care workers ang nakinabang sa nasabing programa ng Philhealth,” Castro stated.

“Ang HEA ay ibinibigay sa mga healthcare workers na nagsilbi at nagsakripisyo para sa publiko noong kasagsagan ng COVID 19 pandemic na hindi nabayaran noon,” she stated.

“Nagamit din ang pondo para sa iba pang program katulad ng medical assistance to Indigent and financially incapacitated patience at ang pagbili ng ibat’ ibang medical equipment para sa DOH hospitals, LGU hospitals, at Primary Care hospitals or facilities,” she continued.

A week after the Supreme Court ordered the government to give PhilHealth back the P60 billion fund, the update came out.

Palace officials emphasized the government’s dedication to maintaining the zero-balance billing scheme, which aims to provide all Filipinos with inexpensive access to high-quality public hospital services.