(UPDATE) THE Department of Health (DOH) plans to expand its zero balance billing to some local government unit (LGU) hospitals, with Level 3 facilities eyed for pilot testing. Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo told The Manila Times on Tuesday that the agency is eyeing Level 3 LGU hospitals due to their “service capabilities” and the agency’s “budgetary constraints.” “Zero balance billing will not work if hospitals do not have the needed equipment, medicines and specialists. Of course, everything will not work without funding,” Domingo said. Zero Balance billing allows patients who are members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to settle their hospital bills without out-of-pocket expenses. Currently, the program is available in 87 DOH-run hospitals, which are directly operated and funded by the national government, unlike LGU-run hospitals. Domingo said that the DOH has identified potential pilot areas for the program, including Saranggani, Laguna, Aklan and Benguet. “They were objectively scored using a technical tool aligned with the Universal Healthcare Act, and preparations have been ongoing for almost a year now,” he said. However, the DOH has yet to determine how many LGU hospitals will be covered under the expansion. “We don’t know yet what the final budget will be at this stage,” Domingo said. During the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed General Appropriations Act, a Senate amendment was introduced to expand the zero balance billing to LGU-run hospitals, which the DOH supported. The bicameral committee also proposed an increase in the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (Maifip) fund to P51 billion. The DOH proposed that a Special Provision be attached to the Maifip fund, allocating 80 percent of its budget to support the expansion to LGU hospitals. Even if this were approved and funding would be sufficient, Domingo said the rollout would still be gradual.