PhilHealth - important and or not?

    Klaus

March 13, 2008 by Klaus  
Filed under Klaus

After posting my article about health care, I got a lot of emails from concerned readers. I am happy about it, because I really like to help. Please give me a little bit time to answer all your questions… .

Let me talk about PhilHealth today. My whole family and me joined PhilHealth already five years ago. My former employer paid his contribution and my share has been deducted from my salary automatically. Good thing: after starting being self-employed I still got the chance to stay in PhilHealth as “Individually-Paying Member” for 100 Pesos (!) a month. By the way, Overseas Filipino Workers should pay 900 Pesos (!) per annum.  It’s important, that you remit your contribution on time regularly. Another good thing: I could even add my mother (84 years old) on my account as next beneficiary. We, as expats had to present our passports and immigration documents showing our permanent visa stay. My wife, former Filipina and now still carrying the German nationality, has been enrolled to PhilHealth also because of her former employer. She is, like me, a Individually Paying Member and put her mother as first beneficiary.

From my last hospital bill PhilHealth took over more or less 20%. Why could I avail of my benefits? Because - confinement in a PhilHealth accredited hospital of at least 24 hours or availment of outpatient services as identified by PhilHealth. And, the 45-day allowance for room and board per year has not been fully utilized.

There might be a lot of more questions. So please don’t hesitate to visit www.philhealth.gov.ph or contact your nearest PhilHealth office, i.e.

- PhilHealth Regional Office XI (region11@philhealth.gov.ph).

Additional we got some individual plans for our needs from the European company, we are working for in a sideline business.

Once again: also regarding health care the Philippines might be cheaper - or better, they are. But why not taken these a.o. mentioned chances instead of break into our savings…

About the Author:  Klaus is from Germany, but has been living in the Philippines since the late 1990’s. Klaus is a journalist by trade, having written for a number of newspapers, studied also Publishing House Management and Marketing and has also been a Radio Host here in the Philippines.