MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) has warned the public about scammers and fixers pretending to offer services under the Zero-Balance Billing (ZBB) program.

In an advisory issued Wednesday, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa clarified that the ZBB program does not require intermediaries. He urged patients and their families to deal only with the billing section of DOH hospitals to avoid falling prey to fraudulent schemes.

“The DOH does not send text messages about the program. There are no fixers involved in Zero-Balance Billing,” Herbosa stressed.

The ZBB initiative, highlighted by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his State of the Nation Address, ensures that eligible patients can leave DOH hospitals without paying out-of-pocket expenses for covered services. At the East Avenue Medical Center alone, over 2,000 patients have already benefited from the program.

The DOH also assured the public that patient information and billing records are managed securely and only with the consent of patients, their guardians, and hospital authorities.

The department advised the public to remain alert and immediately report anyone posing as fixers or offering unauthorized assistance related to the program.