Increase in OFW PhilHealth contribution could still continue after pandemic

A Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) official said the increase in OFW (overseas Filipino workers) PhilHealth contribution could still continue after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered  to make the payment OFW Philhealth premiums voluntary.

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However, PhilHealth social health insurance officer Antonio Danao said PhilHealth’s interpretation of Duterte’s order was that the voluntary contribution of OFWs would only be made during the COVID-19 crisis.

“Ngayon after the pandemic, dahil ang batas ay hindi pa na-amyendahan at yung PhilHealth circular na aming nailabas ay hindi pa na-amend, after the pandemic, magt-take effect pa rin ang PhilHealth circular,” he said.

“Yan ang pagkakaintindi ng PhilHealth habang hindi pa naamyendahan ang batas at yung kanyang implementing rules and regulations,” he added.

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(That is the understanding of PhilHealth while the law and its implementing rules and regulations have not been amended.)

Also read: Petition to scrap new OFW Philhealth contribution gets more than 380k signatures

Increase in OFW PhilHealth contribution

Philippine Health Insurance Corporation issued the new OFW Philhealth contribution on April 14, 2020, entitled  “Premium Contribution and Collection of Payment of Overseas Filipino Members.”

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The said circular made OFW Philhealth contribution mandatory for all OFWs including land-based OFWs, seafarers and other sea-based workers, Filipinos with dual citizenship (RA 9225), Filipinos living abroad, Overseas Filipinos in distress, and other overseas Filipinos not previously classified elsewhere.

It mandates OFWs with monthly salaries between P10,000 and P60,000 will be deducted PhilHealth contribution of 3%, up from 2.75% in 2019.

The monthly premium will increase by 0.5 percentage points every year afterward until it reaches 5% by 2024.

OFWs are classified as direct contributors under the Universal Health Care Law, and therefore, payment and remittance of premium contributions are mandatory, the circular stated.

Aside from the increase, members who will fail to pay the premium after the due date set by the Corporation shall be required to pay all missed contributions with monthly compounded interest.