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.

Source: National Statistical Coordination Board

Share of private sources in health expenditure slightly decreased

Private sources' share to the country’s total health expenditure increased to 59.0 percent from last year’s 58.1 percent. On the other hand, government share decreased from 32.0 percent in 2003 to 30.3 percent in 2004. Social insurance hiked its share from 8.7 percent in 2003 to 9.5 percent in 2004 as it sustained its annual growth at above 20 percent for the past three years. This is so far the largest contribution of the social insurance sector since 1993.