CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–For the employed sector and self-paying members, starting the applicable month of June 2022, payable on July 2022, the system is already set at 4% with the income ceiling of 80,000 as premium rate contribution.
Merlyn H. Ybañez, Public Affairs Division head of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth)-10 added that the differential of 1% from January to May 2022 or first quarter of the year, will be paid until December 2022 without interest.
In an Information Caravan led by the Regional Association of Government Communicators (RAGCOM), PhilHealth and Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-10, Ybañez explained that although they want to defer the premium rate increase, “We are simply implementing or resuming the contribution as stated in the Universal Health Care law.”
Changes in the premium contributions started in 2019 according to Ybañez because it was the time when the Universal Health Care (UHC) law and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) was approved and signed.
Section 10 of Republic Act 11223 on Premium Contributions started in 2019 with a premium rate at 2.75% from income floor of P10,000 to income ceiling of P50,000. In the following year, an increase of .25% was added to the premium rate at 3% but with an income ceiling of P60,000. Meanwhile, in 2021 premium rate was at 3.50% (an addition of .5%) with P70,000 income ceiling.
Further, this year, 2022, the premium rate is at 4% with an income ceiling of P80,000 and in 2023, premium rate will be at 4.5% with P90,000 income ceiling. Finally in 2024 and 2025, premium rate will be at 5% from P10,000 income floor to P100,000 income ceiling.
The UHC law has three dimensions namely population coverage, service coverage and financial coverage.
Ybañez said gone were the days when you had to be a member or have paid three months before taking advantage of the benefit, this time, member or not, paid or not, any Filipino can avail the benefits of PhilHealth.
“PhilHealth will come up with comprehensive and outpatient benefit packages. When you have a new benefit there is a corresponding funding for that,” Ybañez said. (JMOR/PIA-10)
Photo release:
In an Information Caravan led by the Regional Association of Government Communicators (RAGCOM), PhilHealth and Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-10, Merlyn H. Ybañez, Public Affairs Division head of PhilHealth-10, shares the 4% rate increase of the premium contribution for health insurance will be due in June 2022. (VPSB/PIA-10)
