SB Finance expands into healthcare, partners with 66 hospitals

SB Finance is moving into healthcare financing with a program now available across 66 partner hospitals in the Philippines. The initiative, called the Patient Access Program, lets patients borrow between PhP 30,000 and PhP 3 million to cover hospital bills, medical procedures, and treatment costs, with repayment spread over 12 to 36 months at interest rates starting at 1.6%.

How the financing works

Patients apply through a streamlined process that includes document verification and a scheduled loan signing before funds are released. Once approved, loan proceeds go directly to the partner hospital’s Security Bank account, ensuring the money covers medical expenses rather than other用途. No post-dated checks are required, and borrowers can repay through auto-debit, bank branches, partner payment centers, or online platforms.

The program covers both emergency and planned procedures. Maternity packages, cancer treatment, open heart surgery, kidney transplants, and chemotherapy sessions are among the high-value services eligible for financing. This means patients can arrange payment support before hospitalization rather than scrambling to cover costs after treatment begins.

Borrowers must be Filipino citizens between 21 and 65 years old, with minimum income requirements that vary by employment type. Families managing larger medical expenses can apply for multiple loans for a single patient, subject to credit evaluation. The flexibility allows households to piece together financing when one loan falls short of total treatment costs.

Addressing delayed care

SB Finance officials say the program responds to a persistent problem: many Filipino households delay medical treatment because they cannot afford upfront payments. “When patients delay treatment due to cost, long-term health outcomes often become more complex and more expensive,” said Ron Romo, head of personal loan sales and distribution at SB Finance. “SB Finance’s Patient Access Program helps patients make timely decisions by providing clarity in payment and supporting both patients and healthcare providers.”

The company positions this as part of a broader shift toward embedded healthcare financing, where financial support integrates directly into the medical journey rather than functioning as a separate service. The goal, according to the filing, is balancing affordability with timely access to care.

Given that out-of-pocket medical spending continues to strain household budgets across the country, programs like this could become more common if they demonstrate success in reducing treatment delays and improving patient outcomes.

SB Finance is a non-bank financial institution and a partnership between Security Bank and Krungsri, regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and supervised by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. A list of accredited hospitals is available on the SB Finance website.