The Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) has spent PHP1.08 billion for the Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) program, benefiting 103,818 patients in the region since its rollout last year, hospital officials reported on Tuesday.

Dr. Jenny Lind Lesiguez, EVMC chief of medical professional staff, said the program was implemented in the region following the State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on July 28, 2025.

Beneficiaries include outpatients, patients admitted through the emergency room, and those confined in basic accommodations at the region’s tertiary hospital in this city.

Under the Universal Health Care Act, basic or ward accommodation refers to “the provision of regular meals, a bed in a shared room, fan ventilation and shared toilet and bath.”

“Regardless of their economic status, kind of illness, complications and length of stay, when they are discharged, they all avail of ZBB as long as they stay in basic accommodations or wards,” Lesiguez told the Philippine News Agency.

The program is availed of by an average of 80 to 100 patients discharged from the hospital daily, she said.

One of the ZBB beneficiaries is the family of Jelyn Formentera, 25, of Kananga, Leyte. Her father, Nelson, 53, was admitted to EVMC for more than a week and was discharged on Sept. 22.

Nelson underwent an appendectomy, a standard surgical procedure to remove an inflamed appendix.

“Our total hospital bill in our statement of account was PHP81,220. Since there is Zero Balance Billing, we did not spend a single peso for my father to be discharged from the hospital. We are very grateful for this program,” Formentera said.

The ZBB initiative is part of the Marcos administration’s efforts to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and improve access to affordable medical services, particularly for indigent and financially vulnerable patients.

Melchor Lantajo Jr., head of the EVMC finance division, said that of the 103,818 beneficiaries, 41,890 were admitted to wards from July 29, 2025, to the end of August 2026.

“The national government downloads funds to EVMC for ZBB. If the fund downloading is delayed, since this is a new program, this is classified as quantified free service (QFS),” Lantajo said.

QFS is a financial accounting mechanism used by government hospitals in the country to cover the cost of patient treatment that is not fully covered by subsidies. (PNA)