Manila, Sept. 16 -- The government has proposed a PHP74.45-billion allocation for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) in 2027, including PHP19 billion to improve benefit packages and support other priority health interventions.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the proposed funding aims to strengthen health benefits for Filipinos, particularly for mental health and severe malnutrition, while also providing assistance to local government unit (LGU) hospitals.

The allocation will also cover the national government's premium subsidies for qualified PhilHealth beneficiaries, with about 11.09 million beneficiaries targeted in 2027, up from around 10.65 million this year.

The proposal comes as the government s...