Voluntary premium payment for OFWs could compromise National Health Insurance Program —PhilHealth chief

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) president Ricardo Morales on Tuesday said making the payment of contributions for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) voluntary may "compromise" the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) as provided under the Universal Health Care Act.

Morales made the remark after President Rodrigo Duterte directed PhilHealth to make the payment of premium contributions for OFWs voluntary.

"I'm sorry. But the foundation of insurance is not somebody must be paying for the benefit [of others]. It will compromise the fundamental argument for insurance," Morales said on Tuesday when asked about the position of PhilHealth on Duterte's directive.

"Other membership segments might also ask for the same privilege. Baka makompromiso yung ating National Health Insurance Program (NHIP)," he added.

Morales was attending the virtual organizational meeting of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Universal Health Care, co-chaired by Senate health panel chair Bong Go and House health panel chair Angelina Tan.

Duterte last month directed PhilHealth not to require OFWs to pay premiums but instead do it on a voluntary basis.

This was after the state health insurer issued a circular increasing the premium payments of OFWs whose monthly income ranged from P10,000 to P60,000 to 3% of their monthly salary starting this year, which it said was stated in the Universal Health Care Law.

During the hearing, Morales was asked if PhilHealth would modify provisions in the implementing rules and regulations of the Universal Health Care Law to make the payment of premium contributions for OFWs voluntary.

"It would require an amendment of the law because the premium increases are defined by the law," Morales said.

"That is naka-specify sa batas. So tingin ko amendment ng batas ang kailangan doon, sa magiging voluntary," he added.

Nevertheless, Morales said PhilHealth has already issued an advisory to make the payment of premium contributions for OFWs voluntary while the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing.

"But to make it permanent, it would require an amendment of the law," he added.

PhilHealth is a tax-exempt government corporation attached to the Department of Health mandated to administer the NHIP, which provides health care services to all Philippine citizens. —LDF, GMA News