PhilHealth Archives - FilipiKnow

PhilHealth contribution is the lifeblood that keeps the government's health insurance provider running. In this guide, you'll learn how much you need to pay to reap the full benefits of PhilHealth and indirectly help others who need medical care. Related: How to Register in PhilHealth Online: A Complete Guide for New Members Who are exempted from paying PhilHealth contribution? Before you start paying PhilHealth contribution, know first whether you're required or exempted from doing so. Members who belong to any of the following categories don't have to contribute to PhilHealth. 1. Persons with disability (PWDs). PWD members don't need to pay anything to PhilHealth, as the national government (and employer, for employed members) shoulders their contributions. 2. Unemployed senior citizens. Senior members with no or irregular source of income are exempted from paying PhilHealth contribution. Their contributions are paid for by excise taxes collected from alcohol and cigarette sales under the Sin Tax law. However, senior citizens who are formally employed or earn a regular income should still pay their contributions under the applicable PhilHealth membership category. Learn More: How to Avail of PhilHealth Discount and Benefits for Senior Citizen 3. Lifetime members. Retirees with at least 120 contribution payments who are registered as lifetime members no longer need to remit to PhilHealth. However, lifetime members who become employees in the Philippines or abroad must resume making PhilHealth contribution payments until they resign or get terminated from work. 4. Sponsored and indigent members. Filipino families in poor communities who are registered with PhilHealth either as sponsored or indigent members enjoy exemption from PhilHealth contribution payment. Their contributions are paid for by another person, their LGU, a government agency like the DSWD, or a private organization. How much is the monthly contribution to PhilHealth in 2021? As shown in the table below, the premium rate will increase starting 2019 to sustain the National Health Insurance Fund, ensuring all Filipinos--including those lacking contributions--will have equal access to benefits during confinement. The rate will increase by increments of 0.5% every year until it caps off at 5% (the maximum limit allowed by the law) in 2025. Hence, from 3% in 2020, expect the rate to increase to 3.5% of the member's monthly income in 2021; 4% in 2022; 4.5% in 2023; and 5% in 2024 and 2025. Update: The scheduled premium hike has been suspended following PhilHealth's official announcement on January 5, 2021, that there's an "interim arrangement" put in place allowing the deferment of the said scheduled adjustment. PhilHealth will still stick to the 2020 premium rate of 3% instead of 3.5% until Congress is able to pass a law to make the suspension permanent. Otherwise, it will proceed with the scheduled premium rate. 1. PhilHealth contribution table in 2021 for employees and employers. Monthly Basic SalaryTotal Monthly ContributionEmployee ShareEmployer Share Php 10,000 and belowPhp 350Php 175Php 175 Php 10,000.01 to Php 69,999.99Php 350 to Php 2,449.99Php 175 to Php 1,224.99Php 175 to Php 1,224.99 Php 70,000 and abovePhp 2,450 Php 1,225Php 1,225 As part of the full implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, the monthly PhilHealth contribution rate for employed members will increase from 3% of the monthly basic salary in 2020 to 3.50% in 20211 starting January 2021. The monthly premium will continue to be shared equally between the employee and the employer. The monthly contribution for employees earning Php 10,000 and below is fixed at Php 350. Meanwhile, those earning Php 70,000 and above have a fixed monthly contribution of Php 2,450. Take note that the salary ceiling of Php 70,000 in 2021 will continue to increase by an increment of Php 10,000 a year until it reaches Php 100,000 in 2024. For those in between, use this formula to compute your PhilHealth contribution: Employee or employer share = (Monthly basic salary x 0.035) / 2 Here's a sample computation for an employee with a salary of Php 25,000: Php 25,000 x 0.035 = Php 875 (Total monthly contribution) / 2 = Php 437.5 (Employee or employer share) The PhilHealth contribution of employees who are on extended leave without pay is equivalent to that of voluntary or individually paying members. 2. PhilHealth contribution table in 2021 for voluntary/self-employed or direct contributors. Monthly IncomeTotal Monthly Contribution Php 10,000 and belowPhp 350 Php 10,000.01 to Php 69,999.99Php 350 to Php 2,449.99 Php 70,000 and abovePhp 2,450 Just like those in the previous category, voluntary/self-employed members will also follow the new PhilHealth premium rate. Unlike salaried employees, however, they don't have employers who will shoulder half of their monthly premium. Therefore, members in this category will remit the full 3.50% of their declared monthly income to PhilHealth. For example, a voluntary member who earns Php 35,000 a month will pay a monthly premium of Php 1,225 (Php 35,000 x 0.035). The current income floor and income ceiling for voluntary members are also fixed at Php 10,000 and Php 70,000, respectively. This means that those who have a declared monthly income of Php 10,000 and below will pay a fixed monthly premium of Php 350 while those who earn Php 70,000 and above a month will pay the same monthly premium of Php 2,450. This income ceiling will likewise increase by Php 10,000 every year until it reaches Php 100,000 in 2024/2025. The premium can be paid monthly or quarterly by the member. In order for PhilHealth to come up with an accurate computation, they may require members to submit financial records like a duly-notarized affidavit of income declaration or the latest income tax return received by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Otherwise, their contributions will be based on the highest computed rate. 3. PhilHealth contribution table in 2021 for land-based migrant workers and OFWs. Monthly Basic Salary (in Philippine pesos)Total Annual Contribution (Monthly premium x 12) Php 10,000 and belowPhp 4,200 Php 10,000.01 to Php 69,999.99Php 4,200 to Php 29,399.99 Php 70,000 and abovePhp 29,400 Land-based OFWs are also affected by the recent contribution hike and their premiums will be computed straight based on their monthly earnings (see table above). For 2021, the premium rate of 3.50% will be followed. The computation only applies to Philippine pesos so you first need to convert your monthly salary based on the current exchange rate before you proceed. For example, if you earn $500 a month and convert it to Philippine pesos based on the exchange rate that exists as of this writing ($1 = Php 48.06), you'll have a monthly basic salary of Php 24,030. Since the 2021 premium rate is 3.5%, your monthly PhilHealth premium based on your salary is Php 841.05 (Php 24,030 x 0.035). Multiply your monthly premium by 12 and you have total annual contributions of Php 10,092.06. You don't have to pay this in full. Instead, you can shell out the required initial payment of Php 2,400 before leaving the country and pay the remaining balance in full after 6 months or by installment in the next two quarters. To ensure accurate computation, PhilHealth may require land-based OFWs to present their overseas employment contract as proof of income. Otherwise, their premiums will be automatically based on the highest computed rate. Due to public outrage, however, President Rodrigo Duterte temporarily suspended the collection of higher Philhealth premiums from overseas Filipino workers at the height of the 2020 pandemic2. In a subsequent advisory released by Philhealth (Advisory No. 2020 - 037)3, it was announced that the payment of PhilHealth premiums of OFWs shall be voluntary for the duration of the pandemic. Take note that the voluntary payment of OFW premiums is only valid during the duration of a national health emergency4. Once things go back to normal, expect PhilHealth to declare the payment of premiums as mandatory for all land-based OFWs. Land-based migrant workers may see this as a burden but PhilHealth assures them that the increase in contributions is intended to "guarantee fund sustainability and to effectively implement the Universal Health Care (UHC)"5. Seafarers have a different contribution rate and table, which is similar to employed members (see Table 1 above). The seafarers' share of contribution is deducted from their monthly salary, and their manning agencies shoulder the employer share. 4. PhilHealth contribution table in 2021 for kasambahays. Monthly Basic SalaryTotal Monthly ContributionKasambahay ShareEmployer Share Php 5,000 and belowPhp 350NonePhp 350 Php 5,001 to Php 10,000Php 350Php 175Php 175 Php 10,000.01 to Php 39,999.99Php 350 to Php 1,399.99Php 175 to Php 699.99Php 175 to Php 699.99 Kasambahays have the same PhilHealth contribution rate (3.5% in 2021) and computation with formally employed members. For household workers receiving a monthly salary of Php 5,000 (and below), their employers are required to pay their total monthly contribution in full to PhilHealth. However, kasambahays earning more than Php 5,000 should share half of their total monthly contribution payment. 5. PhilHealth contribution table for foreigners. Types of Foreign MembersQuarterly ContributionSemi-annual ContributionAnnual Contribution Foreign retireesPhp 3,750Php 7,500Php 15,000 Other foreignersPhp 4,250Php 8,500Php 17,000 Foreigners pay the highest contribution amount among all PhilHealth membership types. Retirees in the Philippines pay Php 15,000 per year, while expats, exchange students, and other foreigners pay Php 17,000. Alternatively, they may remit their contributions every quarter or twice a year. 6. PhilHealth contribution for Filipinos with dual citizenship. Dual citizens are also encouraged to pay their contribution every year based on the 2021 PhilHealth premium rate (3.50%) They can make advanced payments for up to two consecutive years only. The contributions can be remitted to any PhilHealth office or any PhilHealth-accredited collecting agent here or abroad. Dual citizens refer to those who have retained and re-acquired their Filipino citizenship by virtue of the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 (Republic Act 9225). Under the National Health Insurance Act of 2013 (R.A. 7875, as amended by R.A. 10606), Filipinos with dual citizenship can now register with PhilHealth so they can avail of its benefits. For a list of membership requirements, click here. Tips and Warnings. 1. PhilHealth members shall incur interests/penalties for missed payments. Starting January 2020, PhilHealth members who are lacking contributions will now be billed for their unpaid monthly premiums with interests (compounded monthly). Employers, kasambahays, and sea-based OFWs shall incur interest of at least 3% for every month of missed payment. Meanwhile, land-based migrant workers/OFWs, professional practitioners, and voluntary/self-earning members will be charged a maximum interest of 1.5% for every month of the missed payment. 2. Higher Philhealth contribution means more added benefits. The increased monthly premium is in line with the full implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law which will begin in January 2020. Under this law, members will have access to preventive, primitive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care. In addition to these, they will also get outpatient benefits including drug and emergency services. The additional benefits will also cover mental, medical, and dental services, among others. 3. The benefits of non-paying PhilHealth members will not be funded by regular paying members. These non-paying members who are exempt from paying Philhealth contributions include the senior citizens and the indirect contributors or the sponsored members/indigents. Their benefits will be funded from the sin tax and the government's shares from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). Frequently Asked Questions. 1. Where can I pay my PhilHealth contribution? 2. When should I pay my PhilHealth contribution? 3. How can I pay my PhilHealth contribution? 4. I want to make sure that my payments are actually remitted. How can I check my PhilHealth contributions? 5. How many contributions should I pay to avail of PhilHealth benefits? 6. Can I pay PhilHealth contribution for the months that I missed? 7. I stopped paying my PhilHealth contributions years ago. How do I continue making payments? 8. There's a discrepancy between my posted and actual contributions. What should I do? 9. Is PhilHealth free for senior citizens? 10. Can I pay my PhilHealth contributions in advance? 11. I skipped/missed payment of my PhilHealth contributions. Am I still eligible for PhilHealth benefits? References.