PhilHealth

Better and More Responsive Health Care for All

HISTORY

The call to serve the rural indigents echoed since the early ‘60s when the Philippine Medical Association introduced the MARIA Project which prioritized aid to communities in need of medical assistance. The Project would then be considered a valuable precursor to the Medicare program, from which a medical care plan for the entire Philippines was created. On August 4, 1969, Republic Act 6111 or the Philippine Medical Care Act of 1969 was signed by President Ferdinand E. Marcos which was eventually implemented in August 1971.

The Philippine Medical Care Commission (PMCC) was tasked to oversee the implementation of the program which went for almost a quarter of a century.

In the 1990s, a vision for a better, more responsive government health care program was prompted by the passage of several bills that had significant implications on health financing. The public’s clamor for a health insurance that is more comprehensive in terms of covered population and benefits led to the development of House Bill 14225 and Senate Bill 01738 which became “The National Health Insurance Act of 1995” or Republic Act 7875, signed by President Fidel V. Ramos on February 14, 1995. The law paved the way for the creation of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), mandated to provide social health insurance coverage to all Filipinos in 15 years’ time.

PhilHealth assumed the responsibility of administering the former Medicare program for government and private sector employees from the Government Service Insurance System in October 1997, from the Social Security System in April 1998, and from the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration in March 2005.

CORPORATE PROFILE

Vision

A premier government corporation that ensures sustainable, affordable and progressive social health insurance which endeavors to influence the delivery of accessible quality health care for all Filipinos.

Mission

As a financial intermediary, PhilHealth shall continuously evolve a sustainable National Health Insurance Program that shall:

• Lead towards universal coverage

• Ensure better benefits for its members at affordable premiums;

• Establish close coordination with its clients through a strong partnership with all stakeholders;

and,

• Provide effective internal information and management systems to influence the delivery of quality health care services.

Core Values

People and Partnership

The alliance we have made are the wheels of our program. Our members are at the core of our operations and it is our duty to serve the public.

Harmony

Team PhilHealth moves as one, otherwise, we could not have reached nor surpassed our goals.

Innovation

We support new and bright ideas to improve our operations, and apply the Balanced Scorecards into how we carry out our tasks.

Leadership

The entire PhilHealth organization leads and drives the health system reforms in the country.

Honor, Accountability and Transparency

We are the custodians of public coffers and we owe it to the people to keep the program afloat for future generations.

Excellence and Lifetime Learning

We do not just meet targets; we surpass them because we are movers and shapers. We are the few who make things happen but we continue to learn new things.

Health for All

We aim for universal coverage. Right now, we cover eight out of every ten Filipinos, and we aspire to sustain this coverage in the long-term.