Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano criticized the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth for misleading the public on the No Balance Billing (NBB) policy, saying the program does not reflect patients’ actual experiences.
He pointed out that NBB only covers indigent patients within PhilHealth case rate limits, which often fall short of real hospital costs, while Zero Balance Billing applies solely to DOH-retained hospitals for basic ward patients.
Cayetano also highlighted that PhilHealth has not updated its case rates since 2017, undermining the policy’s effectiveness.
During Senate budget debates for 2026, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa explained the distinction between NBB and Zero Balance Billing to clarify public confusion.
The senator urged the government to either fully implement the policy or rename it to prevent false expectations and restore public trust.
Source: PhilNews24 | November 29, 2025
CAYETANO SLAMS DOH OVER MISLEADING PHILHEALTH NO BALANCE BILLING CLAIMS
Latest from Politics
The Department of National Defense (DND) defended President Marcos Jr.’s plan to raise the base pay
Senator Loren Legarda urged government agencies to fully implement key health and welfare laws she authored,
Justice Undersecretary Jojo Cadiz has resigned following allegations by former lawmaker Zaldy Co that he acted
The Office of the Ombudsman has filed malversation charges against contractor Sarah Discaya, her company St.
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan expressed optimism that the ongoing multi-billion-peso flood control scam could spark a