President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced his intention to ease the financial burden on Filipinos by reducing out-of-pocket medical expenses. Speaking during a patient transport vehicle distribution event on Wednesday, Marcos highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance PhilHealth services.
“We’re working on lowering patient contributions. Eventually, we hope to reduce them significantly,” Marcos said, adding that this would ease the costs for those seeking treatment.
He shared that, with an improved economy, the government might eventually bring patient contributions down to minimal administrative fees—similar to systems in other countries where fees are as low as P100.
Marcos also mentioned ongoing discussions with the Department of Health about increasing its budget to upgrade healthcare services across the country. “Right now, our system isn’t yet equipped to fully carry this out. Funding is always tight, but we’re adjusting the budget to speed up healthcare improvements,” he explained.
A 2024 study by the Unilab Center for Health Policy (UCHP) revealed that private out-of-pocket payments have consistently been the largest part of healthcare spending. In 2022 alone, these expenses made up 45% of the country’s total health expenditure.