An analysis of the 2004 PNHA reveals the following:

• Total health expenditure grew by 6.2% in 2004
  The total health expenditure of the country reached P165.2 billion in 2004, indicating an 11.2 percent annual increase from a 14-year high of 25.3 percent growth registered in 2003 at current prices. In real terms, total health expenditure increased to P41.3 billion from P38.9 billion the previous year, which translates to a 6.2 percent growth.
  
• Per capita health spending increases
  With the total health expenditure growth surpassing the population growth, per capita health spending at current prices was P162 higher, from P1,817 in 2003 to P1,979 in 2004. Health expenditure per capita at constant prices showed a P19 increase or 4.0 percent from last year’s P475 to this year’s P494.
  
• Share of health expenditure to GNP almost the same
  The share of health expenditure to GNP has not improved, even decreasing from 3.24 percent in 2003 to 3.20 percent in 2004. Thus, the Philippines is still way below the 5 percent standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for developing countries.
  
• Health benefit payments from private insurance and medicare show biggest growth
  Health benefit payments from both private insurance and medicare outpaced all other sectors at 21.3 percent growth. Health benefit payments from private insurance increased from P3.4 billion in 2003 to P4.1 billion in 2004. Likewise, medicare benefit payments grew from P12.8 billion in 2003 to P15.5 billion in 2004.
  
• Slight improvement in the social health insurance, but still far from the HSRA target
  The share of social insurance payments improved only slightly from 8.7 to 9.5 percent. However, this is still way off the 30 percent target in the Health Sector Reform Agenda (HSRA). On the other hand, out-of-pocket expenditures remained at 47 percent of total health expenditures, more than double the 20 percent HSRA target.