PhilHealth assures repatriated OFWs can still avail of benefits

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) today assured that Filipino workers who have been repatriated from Libya and other countries can still avail of their health insurance coverage in case their legal dependents in the country are hospitalized. 

"We want to assure our OFW-members that should hospitalization needs arise, they may still avail themselves of their PhilHealth benefits, provided the period of confinement is within the effectivity period of their coverage," Rey Aquino, PhilHealth president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

Aquino said said that OFWs may still use the unexpired portion of their PhilHealth coverage as indicated in their enhanced member data records.

He, however, said that the overseas Filipino worker's contribution should be updated and their premiums are paid regularly and on time by his employer to be able to avail of the benefits.


"Employers of sea-based OFWs must ensure that they remit their employees’ premiums regularly and on time, including their counterpart contributions as employers, to ensure that these OFWs or their legal dependents, are able to avail themselves of their PhilHealth benefits when they need these most," he said.

The PhilHealth's Overseas Workers Program (OWP) covers all land-based overseas Filipino workers whose jobs are covered by appropriate job contracts with overseas-based employers. Sea-based OFWs, meanwhile, are covered under the employed sector.

Among the in-patient medical care benefits that OFWs and other PhilHealth members may avail of are allowances for hospital room and board fees, drugs and medicines, X-ray and laboratory fees, as well as allowances for the use of operating room complex and for the professional fees of attending physicians.

These benefits may be availed of in accredited institutional health care facilities in the country.
The PhilHealth said it has more than two million OFW-members.


Source: PhilStar