OFWs entitled to PhilHealth benefits even while abroad

MANILA, Philippines - Good news for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) president Eduardo Banzon said OFWs who are PhilHealth members can receive reimbursement of their hospital expenses even while abroad.

Banzon said they intend to implement next year a system that would allow online filing of payment claims for OFWs.

“We want covered OFWs to receive immediate financial relief in the event they become ill and seek hospitalization in their host countries,” he explained.

According to Banzon, they are studying the possibility of contracting primary care physicians abroad to care for covered OFWs.

The new system, Banzon said, will be implemented in selected foreign cities where there is large concentration of OFWs.

At present, covered OFWs hospitalized abroad can file claims for reimbursement by submitting the requirements within six months to the PhilHealth office.

The dependents of OFWs here can readily avail themselves of benefits from accredited local hospitals and outpatient service providers.

PhilHealth helps pay for the room and board, medicines, laboratory exams, as well as operating room and professional fees for every hospital confinement of not less than 24 hours of the OFW’s spouse and other dependents.

Qualified dependents of OFWs who are active PhilHealth members are entitled to a separate coverage of up to 45 days confinement every year. The 45 days allowance is shared among all dependents.

PhilHealth now covers some 2.52 million OFWs plus 2.48 million of their dependents.

To improve benefit payments and cope with the rising cost of hospitalization and out-patient services, PhilHealth has raised annual premium contributions of its members.

Premium for OFWs has been adjusted P2,400 or P6.55 per day starting Jan. 1, 2013 from P1,200 or P3.30 per day.