Funding uncertainty hinders universal healthcare expansion — expert
MANILA, Philippines — A healthcare expert has warned that the lack of stable and predictable financing continues to hinder the full realization of universal healthcare (UHC) in the Philippines, despite existing legal and financial mechanisms.
During oral arguments on petitions concerning the transfer of unused Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) funds, Dr. Beverly Ho explained the challenges in achieving universal healthcare in the country.
She said that UHC's goal of ensuring Filipinos are not denied healthcare due to financial constraints remains elusive, as healthcare funding remains uncertain and dependent on annual budget allocations.
“When health or benefit coverage is uncertain, the patients may be left to fend for themselves, depending on what disease they have,” Ho said, speaking as an "amicus curiae" before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, February 4.
“When a payer or insurer's funding source is uncertain, for example, if annually decided or appropriated, it will likely earth towards conservatism in expanding benefits,” she added.
According to Ho, the state insurance agency has made progress over the past 25 years in providing "incremental" and "piecemeal" healthcare to Filipinos.
For instance, PhilHealth currently covers only an average of 40% of total hospital bills for inpatient care.
She cited an example where, out of the agency’s 9,000 case rate packages, only 17 have been upgraded to the more comprehensive "Z benefits," which provide full coverage from diagnosis to treatment.
“You can say that these are the most generously covered, but for the rest of the case rate packages, you expect a lot of out-of-pocket payments from the patient,” she said.
PhilHealth's Z Benefits package helps patients with cancer and other severe illnesses.
Following the enactment of the UHC Act, PhilHealth saw significant increases in premium collections, which initially led to an expansion of benefits starting in 2023 and continuing into early 2025.
However, Ho warned that without sustained financial commitment, these gains may be short-lived.
“If we are to make this dream a reality, PhilHealth should maximize this cushion that's being provided to them to even