BUTUAN CITY, AGUSAN DEL NORTE — Nine private hospitals across the Caraga Region have partnered with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Department of Health (DOH) to strengthen the implementation of the No Balance Billing (NBB) program and improve access to covered hospital services for qualified members. The Memorandum of Agreement was signed on November 12, 2026, with PhilHealth Acting President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Beverly Lorraine C. Ho and PhilHealth-13 Regional Vice President Michael Jibson Hernandez leading the activity. Among the participating institutions are three hospitals in Butuan City: Manuel J. Santos Hospital, ACE Medical Center Hospital, and Butuan Doctors Hospital. The agreement reinforces the participation of private healthcare facilities in providing eligible patients with access to PhilHealth-covered services without additional charges under the program.
Expanding Access to Covered Hospital Services
Under the No Balance Billing policy, qualified PhilHealth members admitted to basic or ward accommodation are not required to pay additional charges for medical services covered by their benefits. The policy is intended to ease the financial burden on patients and their families by limiting out-of-pocket expenses for eligible hospital services. Through the agreement, PhilHealth and the participating hospitals will strengthen coordination, monitor program implementation, and identify areas that may require improvements. Data gathering will also form part of the collaboration to help assess how the policy is being carried out in participating facilities.
Strengthening Private Hospital Participation
The partnership also emphasizes the role of private hospitals in making basic accommodation available to qualified patients. Participating private hospitals are required to allocate at least 10 percent of their total bed capacity for basic or ward accommodation, in line with applicable requirements. This provision supports the availability of hospital beds for eligible members who may benefit from the No Balance Billing program. The agreement provides a framework for closer coordination between PhilHealth and the hospitals as they work to fulfill their respective responsibilities.
The participation of nine private hospitals marks another development in efforts to strengthen the delivery of PhilHealth benefits across Caraga.
Continued monitoring and coordination will be important in ensuring that the agreement translates into consistent implementation at the hospital level. For qualified members, the program offers financial protection against additional charges for covered services when they meet the applicable conditions. The initiative highlights the role of cooperation between public health agencies and private medical institutions in improving access to healthcare across the region.
