By Ruel Orinday
LUCENA CITY, Quezon —The provincial government of Quezon is intensifying the implementation of the “No Balance Billing and No Out of Pocket Expense” policy to ensure that residents, especially the most vulnerable, can access public hospital services without financial burden.
Under this policy, patients admitted to basic accommodations or ward sections of public hospitals are not required to pay any fees.
Governor Angelina Tan said the initiative aims to ease the financial burden of medical expenses, especially for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, solo parents, and beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
“Beyond upgrading hospital facilities and modernizing equipment, we are committed to fully enforcing the no balance billing and no out of pocket expense policies across public hospitals in Quezon, so that every Quezonian in need of medical care can focus on recovery rather than worry about expenses,” Tan said.
The move supports the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) push for equitable healthcare access through the Universal Health Care Law, which encourages hospitals to fully implement no balance billing for eligible members.
Vincent Garcia, a resident of Lucena City, shared his appreciation and expressed gratitude to the provincial government for enforcing the policy.
“The no balance billing and no out of pocket policy in public hospitals is a big help, especially for indigenous people like me, because we no longer have to pay anything when confined in public hospitals,” Garcia said.
Lima Alpah, whose husband was confined at the Quezon Medical Center, also expressed gratitude to the provincial government, as the no balance billing policy helped them with hospital expenses.
“Thank you very much to Quezon Medical Center for the free medicine, kind doctors and nurses, and the staff of PhilHealth and Malasakit. Through the no balance billing policy, my husband was able to receive treatment.”
Tan added that the provincial government is also working to upgrade equipment and improve facilities across Quezon’s public hospitals under the Quezon Provincial Health Network to ensure quality healthcare services.
Now serving her second term as governor, Tan vowed to continue the province’s health programs under her HEALING Quezon governance agenda, ensuring that no Quezonian is left behind due to financial constraints in accessing healthcare.
She added that her administration’s efforts are already producing results, with more citizens now actively seeking medical care.
“More people are now open to getting checkups, undergoing treatment, and trusting public hospitals for surgical procedures. These are clear signs that public trust in our healthcare system is being restored.”
