P4.5B in OFW Benefits Paid by Philhealth

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) has paid over P4.5-billion worth in hospitalization and medical benefits to land-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their dependents since it absorbed the Medicare program of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in 2005.

“From 2005 to 2011, Philhealth actually returned to registered OFWs 100 percent of their premium contributions, plus more, by way of benefit payments.

In 2011 alone, the utilization rate was 132 percent over premiums collected from OFWs the same year,” said Dr. Eduardo Banzon, Philhealth president and chief executive officer.

“We will be spending more aggressively for the health care of our OFWs and their family members here in the months ahead, as we expand coverage, jack up benefit payments and improve service delivery,” Banzon said in a news release.

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