The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on Monday said it does not collect accreditation fees from healthcare professionals (HCProfs) applying for accreditation.

In a public advisory, the state insurer noted the requirements of accreditation of all HCProfs regarding premium contributions as stated in its Circular No. 2023-0024.

The circular emphasized the following: All accredited HCProfs shall be registered members of PhilHealth. They shall pay at least one month premium contribution during the time that the application was filed; and applicant HCProfs who are practicing professionals (in private practice) or who are not formally employed and with missed premium contributions shall be referred to the Collection Section of Local Health Insurance Offices or PROs for appropriate action.

Accredited PhilHealth HCProfs are physicians, nurses, dentists and midwives.

“Employed professionals will not be required to submit proof of contributions as their contributions are being handled by their respective employer,” PhilHealth said. “Payment of all missed contributions is also not a requirement for accreditation. Missed payment of premium contributions shall be covered by existing guidelines.”

However, accredited HCProfs, particularly self-employed or non-formally employed practitioners, are reminded to pay their premium contributions regularly to avoid interest on their missed payments.

HCProfs who will pay the maximum premium contribution need not submit any proof of income, such as income tax return.

The state insurer said it would refer to the signed PhilHealth member registration form with self-declaration of income for the HCProfs’ monthly contribution computation if they opt not to pay the maximum rate. (PNA)