PhilHealth Offers Extension Services in Hong Kong

LEGAZPI CITY, Sept. 9 -- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has announced Wednesday that mobile personnel were dispatched since August this year to Hong Kong.

PhilHealth said this is to provide access and information to Filipinos on the agency's membership updates and renewal, claims and benefits, and premium remittance concerns.

PhilHealth Vice President and Bicol regional director Orlando Inigo explained that the task of PhilHealth mobile officers is to attend OFWs gatherings or meetings and coordinate with Filipino organizations in Hong Kong to facilitate information drives promoting the agency's programs and services.

They may also receive claim documents from OFWs admitted to any hospital in the country to help facilitate the processing of their reimbursements.

He further explained that a confinement of an OFW shall be paid based on the benefit rates of a Level 3 hospital, with the validity period of his contribution being the eligibility requirement.

For a start, mobile officers will be sent to Hong Kong, for two weeks once every three months, to popularize PhilHealth programs and services as well as render assistance to various health insurance concerns of members in the former Crown Colony.

Inigo added this is just the beginning, noting that "after Hong Kong (which also extends services to nearby Macau), we shall replicate this project in other OFW-dense countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Saudi Arabia."

PhilHealth, complementing its extension services overseas, also signed and entered into a Collection and Remittance Agreement with Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

Under the agreement, the two government banks were accredited as collecting partners for OFW premium contributions.

OFWs in Hong Kong may pay their health insurance premiums through subsidiaries and remittance partners of the mentioned banks, ready to accept premium payments either for membership renewal, member re-activation or from new registrants.

Aside from Hong Kong, DBP also has tie-ups in the Middle East, Singapore, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan, Switzerland, Ireland, Cambodia, Australia and Korea.

PhilHealth management will continue to evaluate and accredit institutional applicants for overseas collection efforts to enable its two million OFW members update their contribution payments.

Through updated premiums, they are assured of claims and benefits of accredited facilities in the Philippines or in hospitals abroad. (PNA)