PHILHEALTH welcomes the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to implement a one-time waiver program for incurred interests from missed premium payments. This is a concrete measure to help employers, self-employed individuals, and other covered members settle long-standing contribution obligations and restore good standing with the National Health Insurance Program.
The waiver policy underscores the administration’s commitment to fairness, economic recovery, and sustained access to healthcare by addressing the accumulated burden of interest arising from missed premium payments.
To provide clarity, the one-time waiver applies strictly to interest charges and does not cover unpaid premium contributions. The policy is designed to assist employers and self-employed individuals whose arrears have ballooned primarily because of compounded interest, while ensuring the continuous delivery of benefits to employees and members of PhilHealth.
To further ease the financial burden on covered entities, PhilHealth is providing a one-year settlement window from the effectivity of the Circular, during which outstanding premium contributions may be paid. Employers who settle earlier within the prescribed period may qualify for greater reductions in interest, including partial or full waiver, depending on the length of the payment term.
For the employed sector, the guidelines for availing a waiver will be published soon. Meanwhile, the detailed implementing mechanics for the self-employed sector are being finalized and will be issued separately to ensure proper guidance and orderly implementation.
As part of the program safeguards, employers availing of the one-time waiver are required to register their employees under the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) and ensure completion of the First Patient Encounter (FPE), in line with PhilHealth policy. This requirement reinforces the intent of the waiver—not only to recover missed contributions, but also to connect workers and their families to accessible primary care services.
PhilHealth encourages all eligible employers and members to take advantage of this limited, one-time opportunity and advises the public to await official announcements for further details on implementation timelines and payment arrangement options, particularly for the self-employed sector.
For more information, employers may contact PhilHealth’s 24/7 hotline at (02) 866-225-88 or at mobile numbers (Smart) 0998-857-2957, 0968-865-4670, (Globe) 0917-1275987 or 0917-1109812.
