A few years ago, my mother saved a great deal on my grandmother's
hospital bills because a huge percentage of it was covered by PhilHealth. At
that point, I realized the tremendous benefit offered by the PhilHealth program
during times of medical emergencies. I decided there and then that I will get
my own PhilHealth membership so that I can prepare for such emergencies and
ensure that myself, as well as my family, will get the health care they need.
When I got employed, I decided to apply for my own PhilHealth
membership. It was a simple process because I had my employer to help me out
with it. You have to note, though, that your PhilHealth number is unique and
will serve as your lifetime number corresponding to your membership. Make sure
to use that number when paying your contributions, especially if you are a
self-employed individual who had to settle your own payments (rather than being
automatically deducted off of your salary by your employer).
The first step in applying for PhilHealth membership is to obtain a
copy of the Registration Form. You can get one from their website and make sure
that you attach the supporting documents along with your filled out form upon
submission. Also, if you would like to declare any dependents under your
PhilHealth insurance, then make sure to list down their names in the
application form. After your application had been made official, you will be
assigned a PhilHealth Identification Number and the Member Data Record. You will
be asked to pay the premiums for your insurance to the Cashier at the
PhilHealth branch or any other accredited banks.
All individually paying members who are official PhilHealth members
need to secure a monthly payment of PhP 100. This payment is done quarterly,
semi-annually, or annually. If you have questions about the premiums, you can
always visit the PhilHealth Davao branch to have your questions clarified. Or,
you can visit their website because it lists down all of the information you
need to know about your registration and membership. There are varying
requirements, though, when it comes to processing the PhilHealth insurance
coverage for your dependents, so consult with a PhilHealth staff to get more
info about that.
If you want to ensure that you can enjoy PhilHealth membership benefits
for yourself, your spouse, kids, or senior parents, make sure to visit the
PhilHealth branch in Davao located Valgosons Bldg., Bolton Extension, Poblacion, Davao City, Davao Del Sur (082) 297-7439 | (082) 2962265 (fax) region11@philhealth.gov.ph to learn more about how you can apply. Make sure
that you provide any of the required documents listed above to ensure that your
application will be processed immediately. Hopefully, you won't have to undergo
medical emergencies within your family. But in case such unforeseen and
inevitable incidents arise, you will have peace of mind knowing that you can
give your loved ones the care they deserve without draining your savings.
