CALAMBA CITY, Laguna (PIA) — The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) launches a new program for solo parents that aims to expand their access to healthcare by providing financial assistance for their health insurance contributions where employed solo parents may benefit from shared premium contributions between the government and their employers.
During the Media Pasasalamat program on October 22, PhilHealth IV-A Field Operations Division Arturo Ardiente said they will coordinate directly with employers, and explain which steps beneficiaries must take to ensure their contributions are properly processed to help ease the financial burden of maintaining health insurance coverage.
“Nag-o-orient na po kami ng mga human resource ng mga companies, kasama na po ‘yan sa mga material namin para ma-inform po sila and ‘pag nabuo na po, naisaayos na po lahat, bababa na po kami kasi kasama po ‘yun sa kung papaano nila ipa-process ‘yung payroll. Kasi ‘yun pong personal share ng ating solo parent now will be shouldered by the national government,” Ardiente stated.
The expanded PhilHealth coverage for solo parents is anchored on Republic Act No. 11861, or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act, which strengthens government assistance for solo parents and their children.
Under the law, solo parents are entitled to automatic coverage under the National Health Insurance Program, with premium contributions subsidized by the national government.
For those employed in the formal sector, employers and the national government share the premium contributions under the original provision of the law.
The latest policy, PhilHealth Circular No. 2026-0015, issued in September 2026, provides updated guidelines on the coverage of solo parents and their qualified children or dependents.
The benefits include access to PhilHealth’s Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), which provides primary healthcare services, and the Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (GAMOT) program. Qualified beneficiaries are also covered by the agency’s no co-payment and no balance billing policies, subject to applicable rules.
Under the expanded policy, employed solo parents who qualify for the benefit will no longer have to shoulder their personal share of PhilHealth premiums, as the national government will cover this portion while employers continue to pay their corresponding share to ease the financial burden on solo parents while helping them maintain access to healthcare services.
Meanwhile, Ardiente urged the public to refrain from presenting falsified solo parent identification cards when applying for benefits, warning that PhilHealth has encountered cases involving potentially fraudulent IDs.
“Sa dami ng solo parents, ang ginagawa po namin ay in the absence of a national registry, bina-validate po namin sa local government. Kasi warning lang po, tulungan niyo rin kami rito, ang dami rin naming nai-intercept na mga fake IDs. So isang mahalagang paalala rin po ito na huwag na huwag magpapakita sa amin ng fake IDs because may consequences po ‘yun,” he emphasized.
Anchored on Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, the expanded PhilHealth coverage for solo parents reinforces the government’s commitment to ensuring that every Filipino has access to quality and affordable healthcare services without experiencing financial hardship. (AM/PIA CALABARZON)
