PhilHealth defers premium increase
By Hazel F. Gloria 

CEBU CITY, July 30 (PIA) -- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has moved the implementation of the increase in premium rate for individually paying members (IPM) from July to October this year.

PhilHealth announced late last year that its IPM premium will increase from P1,200 per year to P2,400. However, to provide more opportunity for consultation with different sectors and to give members additional time to prepare for the increase, PhilHealth deferred the July 1 increase to October 1.

As such, individually paying members who are currently paying premium at a rate of P1,200 per year or P300 per quarter, these are persons who are not considered high income professionals doing private practice or individuals doing business, will be computed the same premium rate for payments covering the third and fourth quarter 2012 if they pay before October.

A similar discounted premium will be computed if they choose to pay in advance the premium covering the whole of 2013 before October 2012.

High income earning professionals doing private practice or individuals engaged in business, those whose average monthly income is more than P25,000, are already paying an annual premium of P3,600.

On the other hand, low income earning IPMs who are covered by the current premium increase are those whose average monthly income is P25,000 or below. Among which are members of the informal sector, like ambulant vendors, jeepney drivers, tricycle drivers, farmers and fisher folks.

Premium of sponsored members has also been pegged at P2,400 per family per year beginning this year. But a 50 percent discount on the premium is granted to sponsors who will commit to subsidize the premium of poor families until 2013.

Members of the Overseas Workers Program, however, will still pay an annual premium of P1,200. But effective January 2013, their premium will also be computed at P2,400 per year.

Premiums of employed members for next year will be computed at a rate of three percent of their basic monthly salary, except those earning P7,000 and below who will be paying a monthly premium of P210 and those earning P50,000 and above who will be paying a monthly premium of P1,500. Half of this amount will be shouldered by the employer. (MBCN/HFG/PIA7, PhilHealth)