THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) urges single parents and pregnant women, whether a minor or of legal age, to register as principal members.
Generally, children below 21 years old qualify as dependents of parents, as long as they are not yet married or employed.
Those who are employed should already be covered as Formal Economy (employed) members, and those who are already married should be dependents of their spouses.
Children 21 years old or older no longer qualify as dependents of parents and should pay for their own insurance coverage with PhilHealth.
However, children who are not yet 21 years old but are already parents themselves or will soon be mothers are considered emancipated and should get coverage as principal members, not just as dependents of their parents.
This is why emancipated children of parents identified as indigents by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (Listahanan), will now be covered as principal members under PhilHealth’s Indigent Program.
Their premium will be sponsored by the Department of Health.
Children of parents who are not part of DSWD’s Listahanan (like employed or individually-paying parents) should be enrolled under the Informal Economy Program of PhilHealth and pay their own premium.
Children below 21 years old, including minors, who are pregnant are advised to enroll as principal members as soon as possible to instantly avail of health insurance coverage for their prenatal, intra-partum, and immediate post-partum care; as well as coverage for their babies under the Newborn Care Package.
As principal members, these former dependent children can declare their own qualified dependents without having to pay additional premium.
Qualified dependents enjoy the same coverage as that of principal members.