PhilHealth now covers foster children

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation has expanded its coverage to include foster children as qualified dependents of members.

The new PhilHealth law, Republic Act 10606 (amending RA 7875, as amended by RA 9241) now includes foster children among the list of qualified dependents of a PhilHealth member.

 In a statement sent to The Freeman, PhilHealth said members may declare dependents without having to pay additional premium. These dependents can avail of the same benefits available to members.

With this development, PhilHealth also came out with Circular 19-2014, which lays down the guidelines on how foster parents can declare their foster children as dependents.

The Foster Care Act of 2012 (RA 10165) defines foster child as a child placed under foster care, or the provision of a planned temporary substitute parental care to a child by a foster parent. The foster parent must be duly licensed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The same law defines “child” to mean a person below 18 years old or a person 18 years old or older but is unable to fully take care or protect him- or herself from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition.

PhilHealth said dependent foster children may avail of PhilHealth benefits through the active membership of the foster parent. PhilHealth added that foster children will continue to qualify as dependents of the foster parent until the last day of the validity of the parent’s Foster Family Care License, the expiration of the Foster Placement Authority for the child, the child’s return to his or her biological parents, or when the child has been placed for adoption.

The foster parent must present the license and the FPA issued by DSWD when declaring a dependent foster child.  (FREEMAN)