PhilHealth covers domestic workers in billing policy

MANILA, Philippines - Domestic workers are now covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) “no balance billing (NBB)” policy, an official said yesterday.

The move to include domestic workers – househelps, nursemaids, cooks, gardeners and laundry persons – is intended to give them “adequate financial protection against health risks,” PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Alex Padilla said in a statement.

He said under the kasambahay law, Republic Act 10361, employers are mandated to enroll their domestic workers in PhilHealth, whose NBB policy used to cover only the “poorest of the poor” families.

Under this policy, Padilla said qualified members are guaranteed that “they will no longer have to pay any amount beyond what PhilHealth pays for when (they are) admitted in ward-type accommodation in government hospitals.”