PhilHealth is available to anyone who wishes to purchase it....I believe 2 can be covered under one policy, but you share/split the benefits from what I remember. You will have to pay annually or quarterly, but you can keep it forever. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Philhealth recently un derwent major changes, mostly in the aera of coverage for foriegners. there is a thread on it here; Health & Wellness - Philhealth for an expat?
This is what makes me wary regards what my Wife was told by the local Health Centre Staff, they say I am covered under the 'Barangay Philhealth lifetime cover' because I am married to her, she is covered under her maiden name and asked regards this and they said all she needs to do is supply her marriage certificate along with her birth certificate if she needs to make a claim, and for me, my original birth certificate along with our marriage certificate, and Philhealth will cover me also, but previous experiences in Oz makes me very cautious as to what you are told and what really happens when it comes time to make a claim...
The closest I have been able to find (links below) is what makes me doubt what she is being told as it seems to be a direct contradiction... I have gone blue in the face trying to explain to her I find what she has been told to be highly implausible but my words fall on deaf ears... The way I read it is; it WILL NOT COVER A FOREIGNER! (Unless maybe they can prove they are living in poverty) BUT the local Health center begs to differ, convincing her that I; her foreign Husband) IS covered because SHE IS COVERED! She WAS; IMHO, ONLY COVERED WHEN she was single with no/little income (with her Daughter) meaning in my view, one NEEDS to be living in poverty to qualify. But as I state, the Health center says otherwise... But hey; it is the Philippines where common sense does not always win the day eh... INDIGENT MEMBERS: Request Rejected indigent (Meaning) ˈɪndɪdʒ(ə)nt/ adjective adjective: indigent 1. poor; needy. "a charity for the relief of indigent artists" synonyms: poor, impecunious, destitute, penniless, impoverished, poverty-stricken, down and out, pauperized, without a penny to one's name, without two farthings/pennies to rub together; insolvent, ruined; needy, in need, in want, hard up, on the breadline, hard-pressed, in reduced/straitened circumstances, deprived, disadvantaged, distressed, badly off; beggarly, beggared; informalon one's uppers, up against it, broke, flat broke, strapped (for cash), without a brass farthing, without a bean, without a sou, as poor as a church mouse, on one's beam-ends; informal stony broke, skint, boracic (lint); informal stone broke, without a red cent, on skid row; formal penurious "the first state pensions were given to indigent people over seventy" INDIGENT: QUALIFIED DEPENDENTS: Request Rejected IDIGIGENT: SPONSORED MEMBERS: https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/members/sponsored/other_members.html
To add; My Wife registered with Social Security and pays monthly payments, she was told there by one of the counter staff that she would be covered by Philhealth if she paid monthly to them as a "Self Employed" member, but reading the Philhealth document (link below) the information is VERY INCORRECT! She started paying in 2014 and it clearly states only those registered before July 01, 1999 are covered... Have just shown her what I have posted here and she concedes, "we NEED to gain our own Philhealth cover"... I finally won one! jejeje Rule V SPECIFIC PROVISIONS CONCERNING INDIVIDUALLY PAYING MEMBER. SECTION 30. Self-Employed – All self-employed shall be required to enrol with the NHIP. All self-employed and voluntary-paying members of the SSS who are already enrolled in the Medicare Program I/NHIP before July 1, 1999, are deemed automatically registered. However, they shall be required to update their membership records with the Corporation. Request Rejected
Until July this year, I am covered under my wife's PhHealth plan as her beneficiary when she initially signed us up and had to show our marriage contract. As I understand it, she will be covered under my PhilHealth plan when the change goes becomes effective in July and we have to pay the 15,500p long nose rate.
For information, between my wife's C section birth and my stroke treatment, both at Siliman, Philhealth saved us about php50,000.. I am a permanent resident with a permanent quota visa (13)
Maybe I read things the wrong way? Reading Jack's Post (below) I assumed 13a meant those on a Permanent Resident Visa paid the old rate linked to their Wife's cover as a dependent, not the new 15k/17k rate... Did I assume incorrectly?
