PhilHealth Expands Coverage to Foreign Nationals Starting this July

Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) brings good news to the foreign nationals that are residing in the Philippines. Foreign nationals and former Filipino citizens who have chosen to retire in the Philippines may avail themselves of the social health insurance benefits of PhilHealth starting on July 1, 2017.

Under a Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) that was signed last 2015 between PhilHealth and the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), qualified foreign retirees or former Filipinos retirees who have been registered with the PRA may enrol under the informal economy member category to gain access to medical care services in the country.

Interested foreign retirees in the country may submit the properly filled out PhilHealth Member Registration Form (PMRF) for Foreign Nationals to the PRA Head Office in Makati City or to any of its satellite offices nationwide. Requirements for their enrolment are the Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV) and the granted permanent residency status pursuant to Section 9d of Executive Order (EO) No. 1307. The PRA will be the one who will be facilitating their enrollment into the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP).
Foreign nationals who are residing or working in the Philippines with a valid Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card (ACR I-Card) issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) may submit their PMRF to the nearest Local Health Insurance Office (LHIO).

All foreign nationals who becomes a member of PhilHealth and their qualified dependents shall be entitled to in-patient and out-patient benefits and other special benefit packages through any of the PhilHealth-accredited health care institutions nationwide. However, there are benefits that are excluded such as: Z Benefit packages, reimbursement for all confinements abroad and benefits for women who are going to give birth.

The annual premium contribution rate for PRA foreign retirees is P15,000.00, while the premium for other foreign nationals is P17,000.00. They may pay for their premium either quarterly, semi-annually or annually.