The first step to getting universal health insurance coverage in the Philippines is to become a PhilHealth member. This involves going through a membership registration process on-site, which means going to a PhilHealth office, accomplishing forms, submitting the requirements, and being issued a PhilHealth number.
In the new normal, that manual registration method might just slowly become a thing of the past. PhilHealth has made membership enrollment simpler through its PhilHealth online registration facility. Now, you can just complete the process over the internet while staying at home. No lines, no hassle, no contact with other people.
Want to register as a new member? Here's what new members need to know.
What is PhilHealth Online Registration?
The e-Registration and Amendment System (eRAS) is a PhilHealth online registration facility under the My PhilHealth Portal that enables Filipinos and foreign residents in the Philippines to enroll in the National Health Insurance Program.
PhilHealth's electronic registration system is an easier alternative to manual membership enrollment, eliminating the need to line up at a PhilHealth office. Online registration is very convenient, especially for those who live far from the closest PhilHealth branch and those who are currently based abroad.
Using the system is free for everyone who has access to a computer or mobile device and internet connection.
Who Should Enroll as a New Member?
Although you can use the traditional membership registration method, it's a lot better to register online (as long as the e-Registration system is working). It will save you time, money, and effort rather than going personally to a PhilHealth office to enroll as a new member.
The system is intended for use of the following types of members:
- Employees
- Individually paying members (also called PhilHealth voluntary members), including self-employed and unemployed Filipinos, as well as OFWs
- Retirees (also called lifetime members)
Why Should I Register as a PhilHealth Member?
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth is the government's national health insurance program that is mandated to provide its eligible members with benefits, such as coverage for hospitalization and other medical expenses. This means being a PhilHealth member is important not just for your physical but also financial health and well-being.
PhilHealth Benefits for Members
To encourage you to start your PhilHealth online registration soon, here are the types of benefits that members are entitled to.
Inpatient Benefits
When you avail of inpatient benefits, PhilHealth is obliged to pay the accredited health care institution or HCI where you’re admitted. The amount that will be deducted from your total bill will depend on your medical case rate or condition.[1] The case rate amount shall be inclusive of hospital charges and professional fees of your attending physician.
Outpatient Benefits
PhilHealth will also cover medical cases that don’t require hospitalization. The following medical procedures and services count as your benefits:
- Day surgeries – These include non-emergency surgical procedures, ranging from minor to major operations. These are cases where patients are sent home within the same day for post-operative care.
- Radiotherapy – These include radiation treatments that use cobalt and linear accelerators. Those with cancer can benefit from this.
- Hemodialysis – This covers both inpatient and outpatient procedures, such as emergency dialysis for acute kidney failure.
- Outpatient blood transfusion – This benefit not only includes outpatient blood transfusion but also drugs, medicine, X-ray, operating room, and laboratory services, among others.
Z Benefits
Benefits under this tier focus on providing medical procedures and services for members who are dealing with severe illnesses that are usually expensive to manage. Covered conditions/procedures include the following:
- Leukemia
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Colon and rectum cancer
- End-stage renal disease eligible for requiring a kidney transplant
- End-stage renal disease eligible for requiring peritoneal dialysis
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery
- Surgery for Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) in children
- Surgery for Ventricular Septal Defect in children
- ZMORPH (mobility, orthosis, rehabilitation, prosthetic help)
- Orthopedic implants
- Implants for hip fixation
- Implants for pertrochanteric fracture
- Implants for femoral shaft fracture/tibial fracture
- Prevention of preterm delivery
- Preterm and small newborn benefits
- Children with developmental disabilities
- Children with visual disabilities
- Children with mobility impairment
- Children with hearing impairment
SDG-Related Benefits
Diseases included in PhilHealth’s Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs are covered. Such conditions are HIV-AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and animal bites.
Maternity Benefits
Under PhilHealth’s maternity care package, expecting moms are entitled to essential services during the following phases: antenatal period, labor, normal delivery, and the postpartum period.
What are the Requirements for PhilHealth Online Registration?
Fortunately, the PhilHealth online registration has been made much easier. Now, it requires only a few things.
First, you need to have your active email address. This is where PhilHealth will send you the confirmation, transaction number, and other relevant details regarding your online membership registration. Second, you must also have a copy of your valid ID, so PhilHealth will be able to verify your identity.
PhilHealth Online Registration 2022: How to Apply for Membership Online
Can I register for PhilHealth membership online? You might wonder. As of this writing, PhilHealth has no dedicated page on its website for the enrolment of new members.
However, you can send your PhilHealth online registration application via email. Here's what you need to do:
- Fill out the PhilHealth Member Registration Form or PMRF.[2]
- Send your completed PMRF to actioncenter@philhealth.gov.ph. Acceptable file formats are PDF and JPEG. Also, attach a copy or photo of your valid ID. Follow this email subject format: Register<space>Name<space>City/Province, Region.
- Wait for your PhilHealth Identification Number (PIN) that will be sent to you by PhilHealth.
Related article: How to Get a PhilHealth ID
PhilHealth Online Registration for Existing Members
If you’re already an existing member, PhilHealth online registration means that you’re creating a Member Portal account on the PhilHealth website. When you have this account, you can access your PhilHealth records containing pertinent details, such as your beneficiaries and contributions. You can use this facility to see if your employer is actually remitting their contributions.
You’ll need only two things to register: your PhilHealth number and an active email address. Here are the steps for creating a PhilHealth Member Portal account:
- Visit PhilHealth's official website at www.philhealth.gov.ph and click on "Online Services." On the next page, click “Register/Log-in” under “Member Portal.”
- You’ll be then directed to the registration page. On the next page, click “Create Account.”
- A registration form will appear. Supply your basic personal information number, including PhilHealth Identification Number, name, address, email address, mobile number, and log-in credentials, among others.
- After completing the CAPTCHA test, click “Create Account.”
- Open your email and click the activation link sent to you by PhilHealth.
- After clicking the said link, you’ll be directed to a page that says your PhilHealth account has been activated.
- Try logging in to your PhilHealth online account. Once you’re logged in, you’ll see your personal information, employer information, list of dependents, and contributions.
PhilHealth Online Registration FAQs
It’s good to know that the PhilHealth online registration has been streamlined. Still, got some questions surrounding it? Here are the things that you may want to check out:
1. Why is the PhilHealth E-Register site down? When can I use it again for online registration?
The PhilHealth Electronic Registration System (eregister.philhealth.gov.ph) has been "under maintenance" for the past few years. As of 2022, it still can't be used for online membership application.
PhilHealth has not provided any updates on when this electronic registration system will be restored. However, based on a recently filed Freedom of Information request,[3] PhilHealth actually has plans to implement an online member registration system (the PH Pass) by 2022 and integrate benefit availment into this system by 2023.
In the meantime, you can apply for membership online by sending an accomplished PMRF to PhilHealth Action Center's email address.
2. How can I get a PhilHealth appointment online?
At present, PhilHealth doesn't implement an online appointment system yet. To register as a member, you either have to email your PMRF or visit the nearest PhilHealth office to apply for a PIN and ID.
3. Does PhilHealth accept walk-in membership applications?
Yes. If you don't have an internet connection or you have not received your PIN after sending your registration application via email, you may instead apply for PhilHealth membership manually. Take note, though, that the process will depend on the type of your membership:
PhilHealth Manual Registration Steps for Formal Economy Members
Formal economy members are those with formal employment. Generally, the employer processes the employee’s application. If you’re a new hire or an existing employee without a PhilHealth number yet, here are the things that you need to do:
- Fill out two copies of the PMRF. Normally, the HR Department issues it.
- Submit the registration forms to your HR Department.
- HR will then process your application. If the registration is successful, HR will issue your Member Data Record (MDR) and PhilHealth ID.
PhilHealth Manual Registration Steps for Informal Economy Members
Informal economy covers a wide range of members. Primarily, this includes Filipinos in the informal sector, such as market vendors, construction workers, street hawkers, and more. Self-earning individuals, such as freelancers, artists, doctors, engineers, businessmen, actors, actresses, and similar professions are also part of the informal economy.
Other informal economy members are migrant workers (whether documented or undocumented), Filipinos with dual citizenship, naturalized Filipino citizens, and foreigners working or residing in the Philippines.
If you fall under this membership category, here are the registration steps to take note of:
- Head to any of the Local Health Insurance Offices (LHIO) of PhilHealth Express outlets nationwide.[4]
- Fill out two copies of the PMRF.
- Submit the registration forms to the LHIO or PhilHealth Express.
- Await your MDR and PhilHealth ID card. Once you receive them, you can start paying your premium contribution using your PhilHealth ID number.
4. What is a PhilHealth number?
The PhilHealth Identification Number (PIN), or PhilHealth number for short, is a unique and lifetime 12-digit number assigned to every PhilHealth member upon membership registration. Required for all transactions with the government agency, the PhilHealth number is used for identification and eligibility verification of members.
5. How to know my PhilHealth number online?
To get your PhilHealth number online, you have to register as a new member first. When you've completed your procedure, you'll be issued your PhilHealth number through email.
6. I forgot my PhilHealth number. How can I retrieve it?
If you're an existing member and you lost your PhilHealth number, you may request it through the PhilHealth Action Center at (02) 8441-7442 or email (actioncenter@philhealth.gov.ph). For email, use this subject format: PIN VERIF<space>Name.
PhilHealth also has a Callback Channel that you can access through SMS. Just type PHIC callback PIN VERIF<space>Your mobile number or Metro Manila landline<dash>Details of your concern. And then send the message to 09216300009.
A PhilHealth representative will call you within office hours during weekdays. However, PhilHealth usually receives an overwhelming volume of requests and may not get back to you. Unresponded requests expire after 48 hours.
If the above channels aren’t available, PhilHealth encourages its members to visit the nearest LHIO or PhilHealth Express branch. There, the staff will look up your number and give it to you. Just to be sure, bring valid IDs for identity verification.
7. How can I get my PhilHealth MDR form online?
Use the Member Portal facility on the PhilHealth website to view or get a digital copy of your MDR. As mentioned, this online service also allows you to check the accuracy of your PhilHealth membership records and posted contributions.
Here are the steps to access your PhilHealth MDR online:
- On the PhilHealth website's homepage, click on "Online Services.” Under “Member Portal,” click “Register/Log-in.”
- Once you’re logged in, you’ll immediately see the member information. If you want to have a printed copy, just click the “Print MDR” button.
If you can't access the Member Inquiry page (which happens a lot lately due to downtimes), you can request a copy of your MDR at the nearest PhilHealth branch. Just present a valid ID for identity verification.
Final Thoughts
With PhilHealth having multiple instances of website downtime this year, expect that your PhilHealth online registration might not happen when you need it. Just be patient and take the alternate route, which is to enroll manually at the nearest PhilHealth branch.
After all, the process is just easy with a few simple steps. The hardest part is waiting in line for about an hour. But you'll realize all the effort will be worth it when you or your dependent falls ill—the PhilHealth benefits you'll get will lighten the load on your wallet.
Sources:
- [1] PhilHealth Case Rates
- [2] PhilHealth Member Registration Form
- [3] PhilHealth Plans on Electronic Registration System (eFOI website, 2021)
- [4] PhilHealth Branch directory
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