Several legislators have filed an amendment to Republic Act (RA) No. 11223, or the “Universal Healthcare (UHC) Act,” seeking to exempt Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from mandatory Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) contributions.
In filing House Bill 6355, women Liberal Party (LP) lawmakers Reps. Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal [ML] Party-list), Arlene Bag-ao (Lone District, Dinagat Islands), and Cielo Krisel Lagman (1st District, Albay) sought to amend Section 4(f) of the UHC law, removing “migrant workers” from the list of “direct contributors”, and making their PhilHealth contributions voluntary.
“Given their indispensable role in national development, OFWs deserve relief from redundant and excessive statutory burdens. Making PhilHealth contributions voluntary is therefore not only a matter of fairness but also of sound public policy and social justice,” the lady solons said.
“Although PhilHealth coverage extends to their dependents, the same protection can be achieved through voluntary and flexible contribution schemes without imposing undue financial strain on our overseas workers,” they added.
Since the enactment of RA 11223 in 2019, which aims to ensure that every Filipino has equitable access to quality and affordable health care services, several gaps and areas for improvement have surfaced, necessitating appropriate legislative action.
One of these areas concerns the inclusion of migrant workers or OFWs in the definition of direct contributors mandated to make premium payments to the PhilHealth.
Under Section 4(f) of the UHC Act, direct contributors are defined as “those who have the capacity to pay premiums, are gainfully employed and are bound by an employer-employee relationship, or are self-earning, professional practitioners, migrant workers, including their qualified dependents, and lifetime members.”
Furthermore, as mandated under Section 10 of the UHC Act, PhilHealth premium contributions have steadily increased from 2.75 percent of the member’s monthly basic salary in 2019 to 5 percent in 2025.
While this provision sought to promote universal and inclusive health coverage, its implementation has imposed unintended financial and administrative burdens on OFWs who already maintain health insurance coverage in their host countries.
“In recognition of the invaluable role of OFWs in nation-building and in consideration of their unique employment contexts, the urgent approval of this crucial measure is earnestly sought,” the LP solons said.
