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PCSO contributes to PhilHealth, CHED, PSC, DDB, DOE, and still pays taxes and dividendsLatest in Universal Health Care
Features

PCSO contributes to PhilHealth, CHED, PSC, DDB, DOE, and still pays taxes and dividends

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is mandated by law to contribute to approximately 14 government agencies and programs, including PhilHealth, the Commission on Higher Education, the Philippine Sports Commission, the Dangerous Drugs Board, and the Department of Energy. And on top of…

Liam Demafelix·

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PhilHealth payouts surge from ₱83B in 2023 to ₱420B target in 2026 as out-of-pocket costs fall
Nation

PhilHealth payouts surge from ₱83B in 2023 to ₱420B target in 2026 as out-of-pocket costs fall

PhilHealth benefit payouts have surged from ₱83 billion in 2023 to ₱330 billion in 2025 and are on track to reach ₱420 billion this year, as the expansion of the Yakap primary care program and the Gamot medicine benefit drives more Filipinos to use their PhilHealth coverage, the state-run social…

TB cases rebounding in PH, drug-resistant strains rising: PhilHealth chief
Nation

TB cases rebounding in PH, drug-resistant strains rising: PhilHealth chief

Tuberculosis cases in the Philippines are rebounding after years of decline, with multi-drug resistant and extensively drug-resistant strains on the rise—a trend the country’s top health insurer attributes largely to patients failing to complete their treatment despite medicines being provided for…

PhilHealth warns Congress, budget officials: benefit cost baseline has tripled, funding model must change
Nation

PhilHealth warns Congress, budget officials: benefit cost baseline has tripled, funding model must change

PhilHealth is sounding the alarm on the long-term sustainability of its benefit expansion program, with its president and chief executive officer warning that the current pace of growth in benefit costs cannot be maintained beyond 2026 without a fundamental shift in how the country’s health…

PhilHealth exploring AI use for faster claims processing
Nation

PhilHealth exploring AI use for faster claims processing

PhilHealth is looking at deploying artificial intelligence to pre-screen and flag claims as the state health insurer faces a projected surge to 22 million claims in 2026, translating to more than 1.5 million claims per month. In an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on June 13…

PhilHealth expands YAKAP clinic network from 119 to 4,376 clinics, targets 5,000 by end of year
Nation

PhilHealth expands YAKAP clinic network from 119 to 4,376 clinics, targets 5,000 by end of year

PhilHealth has expanded its primary care clinic network under the YAKAP program from just 119 accredited facilities in 2022 to 4,376 as of 2026 under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with a target of reaching 5,000 clinics by the end of the year. In an interview on DZRH News…

PhilHealth benefit payments surge 250% since 2023, from ₱119-B to ₱378-B
Nation

PhilHealth benefit payments surge 250% since 2023, from ₱119-B to ₱378-B

PhilHealth benefit payments are projected to reach ₱378 billion in 2026, nearly tripling the ₱119 billion recorded in 2023, as the state health insurer accelerates coverage expansion under the Universal Health Care law, its president and chief executive officer said Saturday. PhilHealth President…

Abolish guarantee letters and pay hospitals directly through PhilHealth, says Dr. Tony Leachon: ‘Para bang namamalimos tayo sa pulitiko’
Nation

Abolish guarantee letters and pay hospitals directly through PhilHealth, says Dr. Tony Leachon: ‘Para bang namamalimos tayo sa pulitiko’

Public health expert Dr. Tony Leachon urged the government on Saturday, December 6 to scrap the use of guarantee letters and shift to automatic PhilHealth payments, saying the current system forces patients to beg politicians for assistance. Speaking on DZRH News program Special on Saturday…

Ted Herbosa ‘cannot feign ignorance’: DOH chief under fire as hundreds of ‘ghost hospitals’ undermine Universal Healthcare
Nation

Ted Herbosa ‘cannot feign ignorance’: DOH chief under fire as hundreds of ‘ghost hospitals’ undermine Universal Healthcare

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa is facing mounting scrutiny over hundreds of non-operational hospitals and billions of pesos in lost funds that threaten the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law. In an interview on DZRH’s Special on Saturday program on October 4, public health…

Isko Moreno celebrates President Marcos’ birthday as Manila expands public healthcare services
Nation

Isko Moreno celebrates President Marcos’ birthday as Manila expands public healthcare services

Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso on Saturday, September 13, greeted President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. a happy birthday as the city expands its healthcare services with the help of the national government. Domagoso led officials and residents in singing “Happy Birthday”…

A nation in crisis: Why healthcare is not a priority in the Philippines
Commentary

A nation in crisis: Why healthcare is not a priority in the Philippines

In a country where health is constitutionally recognized as a human right, the Philippine healthcare system remains chronically underfunded, inequitable, and inaccessible—especially for the poor. The evidence is overwhelming: healthcare is not a national priority, and our healthcare workers are…

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