Over 1 million OFWs now under Philhealth

More than one million overseas Filipino workers around the world can now avail themselves of health care financing benefits under the National Health Insurance System of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. The benefits of free hospitalization, doctor’s fees and medicines extend to their legal dependents in the Philippines, said Lorna Fajardo, acting president and chief executive officer of Philhealth. The agency marks on Thursday the second year of its assumption of the Medicare program for OFWs from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa). Fajardo said its new membership database under the Overseas Workers Program (OWP) at the end of 2006 was 18 percent higher than the previous year’s 545,429, bringing the OWP membership to 1,187,105. The OFW sector accounts for 13 percent of the Philhealth’s total membership of 67 million Filipinos, representing 77 percent of the country’s population, up from 64 percent in February 2006. Premium contributions from OFWs increased by 17 percent, from P497.8 million in 2005 to P600.2 million in 2006, Fajardo reported in a Health Forum sponsored by the Philippine College of Physicians. As of August 2006, Philhealth has advanced P274.5 million for claims turned over by OWWA in early 2005. The increase in membership and premium contributions registered a corresponding adjustment in the benefits payments for migrant workers. In 2006, Philhealth paid P362.2 million in benefits claims of OFWs and their dependents under the OWP. This was 17 percent higher than the P203.3 million disbursed in 2005. Fajardo also proudly declared that Philhealth has expedited the processing of OWP claims from 60 days to only 20 – 30 days. “There is a need to further strengthen the communication and networking efforts of Philhealth to ensure that members are updated on the developments of their Philhealth membership and benefits," Fajardo said. To help boost the agency’s efforts to pursue its mandate of universal coverage, Fajardo said her office has been closely coordinating with the Department of Health, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. OFWs updated on their Philhealth membership contributions are entitled to reimbursement of their hospitalization expenses within the limits set by the agency. They are given 180 days within which to submit, among other, the original Philhealth Claim Form No. 1, valid Medicare eligibility Certificate, Philhealth premium payment receipt, official receipt of hospitalization bill, and medical certificate of the attending physician with the final diagnosis and dates of confinement. OFWs automatically become members of Philhealth before they leave the country upon proper documentation by the POEA. Once abroad, they can pay their P900 annual dues through the Philippine consulate or embassy. They can also ask their relatives in the Philippines to remit the premium contribution to the Philhealth Balikmanggagawa Processing Center at the POEA upon showing proof of being an OFW like a copy of the member’s employment contract. - GMANews.TV (For detailed Philhealth benefits, log on to: www.philhealth.gov.ph/owp.htm)