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 health insurance agency’s President and CEO Beverly Ho said Saturday.
Ho made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 22, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series featuring the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth.
She said the surge in payouts reflects the Marcos administration’s deliberate policy of making PhilHealth benefits more accessible and easier to use, resulting in a dramatic increase in the number of Filipinos actually availing their coverage rather than paying out of pocket.
“Ngayon ‘pag tiningnan niyo po, 2023 PhilHealth paid 83 billion pesos. Pero last year, 2025, PhilHealth already paid 330 billion pesos worth. And then ngayon po, this year, we’re on track to pay 420 billion,” Ho said.
She said the direct result of higher PhilHealth payouts is a measurable reduction in the financial burden on Filipino patients, with out-of-pocket spending falling from 55% of total health expenditure ten years ago to 41% today.
Ho said the goal is to continue reducing out-of-pocket spending further, with the Marcos administration’s target of ensuring predictable costs in all PhilHealth-accredited hospitals by 2028 expected to drive out-of-pocket spending down even further.
PhilHealth Vice President Joseph Lachica confirmed that the fund’s fiscal health remains sound despite the surge in payouts, with contributions from working members and national government subsidies for indirect contributors sustaining the institution’s financial position.
“Yes po. Okay naman po ang fiscal health ng PhilHealth ngayon, at patuloy rin naman po yung ating pag-improve ng ating collection sa ating mga members,” Lachica said.
