Renewal of PhilHealth upon return to the Philippines

[mountainside]

Upon return to the Philippines I’ll have been out of country for 4-5 years.  Stopped paying into PhilHealth when I left the Phils.  I’ve read conflicting information from various sources about renewing PhilHealth upon return.  I joined Phil Health on an SRRV that was cancelled when I left.  Still have my PhilHealth card and account number.

One view: in order to renew I’d have to pay the premiums for the time I’ve been gone, plus any penalty fee.

Another view: I can start fresh, with no charge for the time I’ve spent away.

Edit:  Just saw that a member commented in a lengthy July 2022 thread on this subject that he'd lapsed for a few years and was able to renew with no back premiums or penalty paid.

Any members with recent experience renewing?  Thanks.

Edited March 7, 2023 by mountainside

[hk blues]

7 hours ago, mountainside said:

Upon return to the Philippines I’ll have been out of country for 4-5 years.  Stopped paying into PhilHealth when I left the Phils.  I’ve read conflicting information from various sources about renewing PhilHealth upon return.  I joined Phil Health on an SRRV that was cancelled when I left.  Still have my PhilHealth card and account number.

One view: in order to renew I’d have to pay the premiums for the time I’ve been gone, plus any penalty fee.

Another view: I can start fresh, with no charge for the time I’ve spent away.

Edit:  Just saw that a member commented in a lengthy July 2022 thread on this subject that he'd lapsed for a few years and was able to renew with no back premiums or penalty paid.

Any members with recent experience renewing?  Thanks.

I have no experience but logically why would they allow previous members to pick up without any payment for missed contributions, and also why would they have a system for making up missed contributions and penalties and then not use it?  

I don't doubt others have been able to re-join but I wonder if in reality they have been able to restart using the same details and number but still have the waiting period before making a claim i.e. effectively the same as a new member would have to.  

[mountainside]

2 hours ago, hk blues said:

I don't doubt others have been able to re-join but I wonder if in reality they have been able to restart using the same details and number but still have the waiting period before making a claim i.e. effectively the same as a new member would have to.

My hope is that I'd start up again with a new 3 month waiting period, using the same PhilHealth number on file.  According to a member who posted last July, "Unless they changed the rules, you don't need to pay for any past coverage. Once I lapsed for a few years and just started up again, paying for next 12 months. They allow it because there is delay, you can't just start payments again in order to get immediate coverage."  

I'm guessing now that this situation comes up so rarely that none of us have recent experience face-to-face at a PhilHealth office.  Maybe I just need to wait until I get in-country with my boots on the ground, a smile on my face, and walk up to a PhilHealth office where the folks smile back :)

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, mountainside said:

My hope is that I'd start up again with a new 3 month waiting period, using the same PhilHealth number on file.  According to a member who posted last July, "Unless they changed the rules, you don't need to pay for any past coverage. Once I lapsed for a few years and just started up again, paying for next 12 months. They allow it because there is delay, you can't just start payments again in order to get immediate coverage."  

I'm guessing now that this situation comes up so rarely that none of us have recent experience face-to-face at a PhilHealth office.  Maybe I just need to wait until I get in-country with my boots on the ground, a smile on my face, and walk up to a PhilHealth office where the folks smile back :)

What you've described is just what I assume happens - you rejoin with the old number but are treated like a new member in that you have the waiting period.  The only advantage with that is you don't need to get a new number but, to be honest, that process is relatively painless so either way it's not such a big deal. 

On what basis were you a member before - rules for foreigners have changed since 2017 so that may be a fly in the ointment?

[CebuAndy]

Yes 6 pages here about same topic

 

 

 

[mountainside]

6 hours ago, hk blues said:

On what basis were you a member before - rules for foreigners have changed since 2017 so that may be a fly in the ointment?

Had my own account under my then-SRRV.  I was married, but not a dependent of my wife (and understand that nowadays, as a foreigner, I can't become one).

[hk blues]

12 hours ago, mountainside said:

Had my own account under my then-SRRV.  I was married, but not a dependent of my wife (and understand that nowadays, as a foreigner, I can't become one).

Good, at least the changes don't come into the equation for you.

I'd recommend not using one of the satellite office for your query but instead a main office - you probably know that anyway.  

[OzeMike]

My wife said you can start paying again (if you stopped last year) at the start of the new year. So I will pay our first quarterly payment for Jan to March this year.

[hk blues]

34 minutes ago, OzeMike said:

My wife said you can start paying again (if you stopped last year) at the start of the new year. So I will pay our first quarterly payment for Jan to March this year.

Possibly so but there is a late payment penalty of 2% per month.