Philhealth: Filing claims for hospital bills abroad may soon be done via Internet

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) said it is planning to install by next year a system that would allow overseas Filipino workers (OFW)  to file via the Internet their claims for hospital bills incurred abroad.

 

In a statement on Tuesday, Philhealth president and CEO Dr. Eduardo Banzon said: “We want covered OFWs to receive immediate financial relief in the event they become ill and seek hospitalization in their host countries.”

 

“Our plan is to install by next year a system that will allow OFWs to simply submit online their individual claims for repayment,” he added.

 

Currently, a covered OFW may apply for hospital reimbursement abroad by submitting, within six months after hospitalization, the hard copies of the following documents:

 

All claims will be reimbursed within 60 working days except those which are under investigation.

 

Philhealth said there will be no reimbursements for confinement less than 24 hours.

Benefits for dependents

 

Meanwhile, PhilHealth said the qualified dependents of OFWs who are active members of Philhealth, are entitled to the following medical benefits at accredited hospitals and medical partners:

 

The qualified dependents of an OFW are also allowed up to 45 days confinement coverage per year. This 45 day limit coverage applies to all of the dependents.

 

Those who are considered as eligible dependents are:

 

Related story: What Pinoy workers can do if they get sick abroad