By Teresa Montemayor
MANILA – The national government will shoulder the employee share of PhilHealth premiums for employed solo parents, regardless of income, once their membership records are updated, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) said Tuesday.
In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview, PhilHealth Corporate Communications Department acting senior manager Christine Mae Magno urged qualified members to avail themselves of the policy.
Employers will continue paying their share, while the government covers the employee’s portion, she said.
“So, halimbawa, tayo po ay employed at mataas po iyong ating suweldo, ibig sabihin nito, iyong kaltas sa ating salary, sa ating payroll, hindi na po dapat mag-reflect doon na mayroon pang employee share (For example, even if we are employed and earning a high salary, our payroll should no longer reflect a deduction for the employee’s share),” she said.
“Talagang employer share na lang po ang iri-remit sa PhilHealth dahil po iyong national government na po ang magko-cover ng employee’s share (Only the employer’s share will be remitted to PhilHealth because the national government will cover the employee’s share),” she added.
To avail of the policy, employed solo parents must submit a PhilHealth Member Registration Form and photocopies of both sides of their valid solo parent identification card to their human resources or payroll office for processing.
Solo parents must first register with their city or municipal social welfare and development office, where they will undergo an interview and assessment, Magno said.
Once their records are tagged in PhilHealth’s database as solo parent indirect contributors, self-paying solo parents will also be exempt from premium contributions.
Under the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, dependents up to 22 years old are covered. PhilHealth recognizes the dependent information, including birth dates, on an updated solo parent ID without requiring another submission of birth certificates already provided during the local government’s assessment.
Applicants whose solo parent IDs are still being processed may submit a certification from the authorized local government office once their status has been approved.
Magno urged members to keep their records and those of their dependents updated to ensure access to benefits, including the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), outpatient emergency care and inpatient packages.
The no co-payment policy also covers members and their declared dependents admitted to basic or ward accommodation, regardless of membership category.
Scam texts
Meanwhile, Magno warned members against fraudulent text messages urging them to replace their PhilHealth IDs through links that solicit personal or banking information or demand payment.
She said scammers may use PhilHealth and Bagong Pilipinas logos to make their websites appear legitimate.
“Ito po magandang klaruhin natin, hindi po kailanman magti-text ang PhilHealth nang may link, hindi kami maglalagay ng link kasi alam po natin madalas na po itong ginagamit ng mga nanloloko sa ating mga kapwa Pilipino (Let us clarify this, PhilHealth will never send text messages containing a link. We do not include links because these are frequently used by scammers to deceive our fellow Filipinos),” she said.
PhilHealth may send text reminders about benefit payments and premium contributions, but these do not contain links, she added.
Members should delete suspicious messages, especially those requesting one-time passwords or personal records, and report them to PhilHealth or through report.cicc.gov.ph.
For assistance, members may call PhilHealth’s 24/7 hotline at 02-8662-2588 or visit local health insurance offices from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
