DOH: Drunk drivers excluded from zero-balance billing policy

MANILA, Philippines — Victims of road crashes who engaged in drunk driving will not be covered by the government’s zero-balance billing policy, the Department of Health said yesterday.

DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa said motorists who are injured while violating traffic rules such as drunk driving and using phones while driving would not benefit from the program.

“If you are admitted in the hospital for not wearing a helmet or a seatbelt, you are disqualified from the zero-balance billing program,” Herbosa said at a forum on road safety in Mandaluyong City.

“The zero-balance billing policy is only for patients who did not violate any laws,” Herbosa added.

He reminded motorists to be responsible and always follow traffic laws.

Based on DOH records, road accidents claimed more than 13,000 lives in 2023, or an average of 35 deaths per day.

Of the 5,083 road traffic injuries recorded by the DOH last July, 3,382 or 66.5 percent involved motorcycles.

The DOH also registered 3,197 road crash victims not wearing helmets while 205 others engaged in drunk driving.