Foreign Nationals May Now Avail of PhilHealth Benefits

Foreign nationals can now avail of social health insurance benefits from PhilHealth, an official of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation announced.

“Effective July 1, foreign nationals who have retired, are working or residing in the Philippines can enroll as a member of PhilHealth,” Engr. Eugenio Donatos II, Field Operations Division chief of PhilHealth 12, said in a press conference on Friday.

Same privilege is also available to former Filipino citizens who have chosen to retire in the Philippines.

According to information released by PhilHealth, foreign retirees who are registered with the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) and former Filipinos may enroll the informal member category to gain access to medical care services as PhilHealth members.

Annual premium contribution for PRA-registered foreign nationals is P15,000 while that of other foreign citizens is P17,000 payable quarterly, semi-annually or annually.

Interested foreign national retirees may submit filled out PhilHealth Member Registration Form (PMRF) to the PRA Head Office in Makati or to any of its satellite offices.

To enroll, a foreign national retiree is required to present Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) and should have been granted permanent residency status pursuant to Section 9(d) of Executive Order No. 1037 (Creation of the Philippine Retirement Park System). The PRA will facilitate their PhilHealth enrollment.

Foreign nationals working or residing in the Philippines with valid Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card (ACR I-Card) issued by the Bureau of Immigration may submit their PMFR for foreign national to any local health insurance office of PhilHealth.

Donatos added that all enrolled foreign nationals and their dependents are entitled inpatient and outpatient benefits and other special benefit packages through the PhilHealth-accredited health facilities, except Z benefits.

Also, according to information released by PhilHealth, also excluded in the benefits are the reimbursement for all confinements abroad and benefits for women about to give birth. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12)