The administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is signaling a recalibration of the country’s health insurance system, with Executive Secretary Ralph Recto pressing the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to expand benefit packages, particularly for the middle class.
Recto raised the matter during a January 20 meeting with Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and PhilHealth President and CEO Edwin Mercado, where discussions focused on system-wide reforms to improve healthcare affordability and access.
During the meeting, Recto urged DOH and PhilHealth to ensure that benefit packages for the middle class, “who are consistently paying their taxes and contributions,” will see “commensurate benefits.”
The middle class, often excluded from targeted subsidies yet burdened by rising medical costs, has long criticized PhilHealth contributions for failing to provide meaningful coverage.
Recto’s call reflects mounting pressure on the government to prove that Universal Health Care delivers tangible value beyond policy declarations.
Officials also tackled how to make zero balance billing (ZBB) more effective, ensuring it reaches indigent patients and works in practice rather than remaining a promise on paper.
Meanwhile, the DOH announced it is finalizing the rollout of its DOH–LGU Healthcare Provider Network (HCPN) model, designed to strengthen local health systems and guarantee access to higher-level care without forcing patients into expensive private facilities.
The push for reforms highlights the administration’s effort to balance healthcare equity, ensuring that both indigent and middle-class Filipinos benefit from the country’s health insurance system.