Heart Bypass Surgery (CABG) Cost in the Philippines 2026

Quick Answer: A Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) — heart bypass surgery — costs roughly ₱1.2 million to ₱1.4 million as a package at a private hospital like Cardinal Santos Medical Center, before any PhilHealth deduction. PhilHealth's Z Benefit for CABG now pays ₱660,000 (standard risk) to ₱960,000 (expanded risk) directly to contracted hospitals, up from ₱550,000, effective March 1, 2025 under PhilHealth Circular No. 2025-0004. At the government-run Philippine Heart Center, ward patients can pay close to ₱0 once PhilHealth and Zero Balance Billing are applied. Confirm your hospital's exact package and PhilHealth-contracted status before scheduling.

Table of Contents

• How much does heart bypass surgery cost in the Philippines?
• How much does PhilHealth's Z Benefit pay for CABG?
• What does the PhilHealth CABG package include and exclude?
• What does the Philippine Heart Center charge for bypass surgery?
• What are the pre-op workup costs before bypass surgery?
• What drives the cost up: ICU days, complications, and recovery
• How do you stack assistance if you still can't afford it?
• CABG vs. angioplasty: how do the costs compare?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

How much does heart bypass surgery cost in the Philippines?

A full CABG package at a private tertiary hospital runs ₱1.2 million to ₱1.4 million, depending on room accommodation. Cardinal Santos Medical Center publishes a discounted open-heart surgery package — covering CABG, off-pump CABG (OPCAB), valve procedures, and congenital repairs — priced at ₱1,200,000 for a private room, ₱1,300,000 for a suite, and ₱1,400,000 for a presidential suite, plus an optional ₱50,000 blood package. Cardinal Santos explicitly notes this professional-fee package is net of PhilHealth coverage, meaning your PhilHealth benefit is applied on top to lower your actual out-of-pocket balance. This is one published, verifiable data point — other private hospitals (The Medical City, St. Luke's, Makati Medical Center) quote CABG packages in a broadly similar seven-figure range, but few publish exact numbers online, so get a written quotation from your specific hospital's cardiac surgery department before committing.

At the government-run Philippine Heart Center (PHC), there is no comparable fixed sticker price — what you pay depends on your accommodation, your PhilHealth coverage, and whether you tap Malasakit Center assistance. See Philippine Heart Center Rates & Fees for the full breakdown of how ward patients there can end up paying close to nothing.

How much does PhilHealth's Z Benefit pay for CABG?

PhilHealth's Z Benefit for CABG pays ₱660,000 for standard-risk cases and ₱960,000 for expanded-risk cases, effective March 1, 2025, under PhilHealth Circular No. 2025-0004 — a significant jump from the previous ₱550,000 flat rate. Which tier you fall under is a clinical determination made by your cardiac surgery team, based on factors like EuroSCORE risk assessment, not something you choose. All Filipinos qualify automatically under the Universal Health Care Act; you don't need an active contribution record, but you do need a confirmed diagnosis meeting the package's clinical criteria and treatment at a hospital specifically contracted for the CABG Z Benefit — general PhilHealth accreditation isn't enough. The same circular also raised coverage for Ventricular Septal Defect closure (₱498,000–₱614,000) and Tetralogy of Fallot correction (up to ₱614,000) in pediatric patients, and the package does not count against PhilHealth's 45-day annual benefit limit.

For the complete list of PhilHealth's catastrophic-illness packages beyond heart surgery — cancer, kidney transplant, orthopedic implants — see the PhilHealth Z Benefit Packages Guide, which carries the full circular-by-circular rate table.

What does the PhilHealth CABG package include and exclude?

The CABG Z Benefit covers hospitalization for the approved length of stay, the surgery itself, standard medications, operating room fees, and professional fees for the core surgical team — but it explicitly excludes several cost items that can still land on your bill. Based on the package's published terms, patients in basic/ward accommodation at a contracted hospital should face no copayment for essential services and postoperative complications, but the following are commonly billed separately or require add-on approval:

• Blood and blood product screening — not included; budget separately (Cardinal Santos, for comparison, prices its optional blood package at ₱50,000)
• Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump, if your case requires one
• Grafts for peripheral vascular bypass, beyond what's in the standard package
• Pacemaker, if implanted during or after surgery
• Introducer sheaths and certain specialized supplies
• Private-room or suite upgrades — these move you off the zero-balance track for accommodation costs specifically
• Choice-of-physician fees if you request a specific surgeon outside the assigned team

Because pre-authorization is required before treatment (valid 180 calendar days from approval) and the specific inclusions can vary by circular update, always ask your hospital's PhilHealth or social services desk for the current, itemized list of what's covered before surgery — don't assume every line item is included just because you qualify for the Z Benefit.

What does the Philippine Heart Center charge for bypass surgery?

The Philippine Heart Center does not publish a fixed CABG price list, because what a patient pays there depends on accommodation, PhilHealth coverage, and Malasakit Center assistance stacked together, not a flat fee. As a DOH-retained government specialty hospital, PHC is a Z Benefit-contracted provider for open-heart surgery, and since July 2025, patients admitted to basic ward accommodation pay ₱0 under the DOH's Zero Balance Billing policy — PhilHealth's CABG case rate plus government subsidy absorb the bill. Patients who choose a private or pay room move off that zero-balance track: PhilHealth's case rate is still deducted, but the remaining room and amenity charges are billed. PHC's on-site Malasakit Center can close most of what's left for ward-track exclusions like implants or certain medicines. Full detail — including how the three layers (ZBB, PhilHealth, Malasakit) interact — is in Philippine Heart Center Rates & Fees.

What are the pre-op workup costs before bypass surgery?

Before a cardiac surgeon can schedule a CABG, you'll typically need an ECG, a 2D echocardiogram, and a coronary angiogram (cardiac catheterization) to confirm which arteries are blocked and plan the operation — together these can add roughly ₱60,000–₱75,000 or more on top of the surgery package if done separately. ECG costs ₱300–₱1,300 depending on the facility (as low as ₱300 at a government hospital), and 2D echo runs ₱2,100–₱6,000; see our ECG & 2D Echo Cost Guide for a full breakdown by facility type. The coronary angiogram, the more expensive diagnostic step, starts around ₱58,000 at private cardiac catheterization labs, based on published package pricing — actual cost depends on how many vessels are imaged and whether a stent is placed during the same procedure. Many hospitals bundle some or all of this pre-op workup into the surgery package quote, so ask specifically whether diagnostics are included before comparing prices between hospitals.

What drives the cost up: ICU days, complications, and recovery

The single biggest swing factor in your final CABG bill is how many days you spend in intensive care and whether complications extend your hospital stay, since ICU care is billed well beyond a standard room rate. Reported private-hospital ICU costs in the Philippines vary widely — from roughly ₱25,000 to ₱60,000 or more per day depending on the hospital, ventilator support, and monitoring intensity — and sources disagree sharply on the exact figure, so treat any single number as a rough planning estimate, not a quote; ask the specific hospital's billing office for their current ICU daily rate before surgery. Other factors that push the total above a hospital's published package price include: additional grafts beyond the standard count, an unplanned Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump, blood transfusions beyond what's pre-paid, a longer-than-expected ventilator weaning period, wound infection requiring extended antibiotics, and post-CABG cardiac rehabilitation sessions. Ask your surgeon for a realistic best-case-to-worst-case range, not just the headline package price, before you commit to a hospital.

How do you stack assistance if you still can't afford it?

Even after PhilHealth's Z Benefit is applied, most families still face a real balance for accommodation upgrades, excluded items, or private-hospital fees — and several government and charity programs can be stacked on top of PhilHealth to close that gap. A Malasakit Center, available at PHC and many other DOH hospitals, is the fastest single stop: it coordinates DOH's MAIFIP fund, DSWD's Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), and PCSO's medical assistance in one office visit. If you're at a private hospital without an on-site Malasakit Center, you can still apply to PCSO and DSWD directly, and check whether your employer's HMO or a life insurance rider covers any portion of cardiac surgery. For the complete, step-by-step order of operations — including hospital patient classification, guarantee letters, and what to do if you're turned away without cash upfront — see Can't Pay Your Hospital Bill in the Philippines.

CABG vs. angioplasty: how do the costs compare?

CABG (open bypass surgery) is reserved for more severe or multi-vessel coronary blockages and costs substantially more than angioplasty with stenting, which is a less invasive, catheter-based procedure for less complex blockages. Your cardiologist decides which procedure fits your case based on how many arteries are blocked and where — it isn't a cost-driven choice. For the angioplasty-specific price breakdown, PhilHealth case rate, and stent cost ranges, see Angioplasty Cost in the Philippines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Magkano ang heart bypass surgery sa Pilipinas?

Sa pribadong ospital tulad ng Cardinal Santos, mula ₱1.2 milyon hanggang ₱1.4 milyon ang package, bago ibawas ang PhilHealth. Ang PhilHealth Z Benefit naman ay nagbabayad ng ₱660,000 hanggang ₱960,000 direkta sa ospital, depende kung standard o expanded risk ang kaso. Sa Philippine Heart Center, malapit sa ₱0 ang babayaran ng mga pasyenteng nasa ward kapag pinagsama ang PhilHealth, Zero Balance Billing, at Malasakit Center.

Does PhilHealth fully cover heart bypass surgery?

Not always in full — PhilHealth's Z Benefit pays ₱660,000–₱960,000 directly to the hospital, which can cover most or all of the bill at a Z Benefit-contracted government hospital with ward accommodation, but typically leaves a balance at a private hospital charging ₱1.2M+ for a private or suite room. The exact gap depends on your hospital, room choice, and whether complications arise.

Which hospitals are contracted for the PhilHealth CABG Z Benefit?

PhilHealth does not publish one master list broken down by exact procedure on its main site; contracting status is specific to each Z Benefit package and can change. Confirm directly with the cardiac surgery or PhilHealth liaison office of your target hospital — major specialty and tertiary centers like the Philippine Heart Center are typically contracted for CABG, but you should still verify before scheduling.

Is Cardinal Santos's ₱1.2M package the same everywhere?

No — that figure is specific to Cardinal Santos Medical Center's published, discounted open-heart surgery package as of this writing. Other private hospitals set their own CABG pricing and rarely publish it online, so request a written quotation from your specific hospital before comparing costs.

What isn't included in the PhilHealth CABG package?

Blood and blood product screening, an Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump if needed, additional peripheral vascular grafts, a pacemaker if implanted, introducer sheaths, private-room upgrades, and choice-of-physician fees are commonly billed outside the core Z Benefit package. Ask your hospital's PhilHealth desk for the current itemized inclusion list before surgery.

How long is the PhilHealth pre-authorization valid for CABG?

180 calendar days from the date of approval, per PhilHealth Circular No. 2025-0004 — you need to complete the surgery within that window or the authorization may need to be re-submitted.

Is heart bypass surgery free at government hospitals?

It can be close to free for ward patients. At the Philippine Heart Center, Zero Balance Billing (effective July 2025) means basic ward patients pay ₱0 out-of-pocket, with PhilHealth's Z Benefit and government subsidy covering the bill together. Private or suite room patients move off that zero-balance track and are billed for the accommodation difference.

Conclusion

Heart bypass surgery in the Philippines runs from a published ₱1.2M–₱1.4M at a private hospital like Cardinal Santos down to near ₱0 for ward patients at the Philippine Heart Center, with PhilHealth's ₱660,000–₱960,000 Z Benefit doing most of the work to close that gap. The biggest levers on your final bill are which hospital and room type you choose, whether your case is standard or expanded risk, and how many ICU days or complications come up during recovery. Confirm your hospital's exact CABG package, PhilHealth-contracted status, and current inclusion list before scheduling — then bring any remaining balance to a Malasakit Center or the assistance stack in our Can't Pay Your Hospital Bill guide.

For related cardiac costs, see Angioplasty Cost in the Philippines, the full PhilHealth Z Benefit Packages Guide, and Philippine Heart Center Rates & Fees. You can also search for cardiologists and hospitals near you on ClinicFinderPH.