PH CONSULATE IN SF HOLDS WEBINAR ON PHILHEALTH, U.S. MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES FOR FILIPINOS IN THE U.S.
Consul General Neil Ferrer gives his welcome remarks during the webinar on PhilHealth and U.S. Medicare & Medicaid on 25 September 2023. (San Francisco PCG screenshot)
SAN FRANCISCO, USA – In line with its mandate to advance the welfare and well-being of overseas Filipinos, the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco conducted a webinar on PhilHealth and the U.S. Medicare & Medicaid benefits and services for Filipinos in the U.S. on 25 September 2023.
The webinar was held in partnership with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the San Francisco Regional Office of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
In his welcome remarks, Consul General Neil Ferrer said that the webinar is the Consulate’s “contribution to the implementation of the Philippine Universal Health Care Act of 2019, which gives life to the state policy of ‘protecting and promoting the right to health of all Filipinos and instilling health consciousness among them’ through universal health insurance coverage and effective healthcare service delivery.”
“If there is one thing that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, it is the importance of taking care of our own health and well-being to protect our families, our communities, and the larger society… It is for this reason that the Consulate is spearheading this webinar, to spread awareness about the health insurance options for our kababayans here in the United States as well as their dependent family members back in the Philippines,” Consul General Ferrer said.
Atilano Sabulao III and Janice Lagasca of PhilHealth’s Overseas Filipino Program outlined the inpatient and outpatient benefits of PhilHealth membership, including the Z-benefits for those with critical illnesses such as cancer. PhilHealth also covers hospitalizations outside the Philippines through a reimbursement program.
Filipino American Jienelle Herndon of the U.S. CMS San Francisco Office’s Program Operations and Local Engagement Office gave an overview of the federal U.S. Medicare program for seniors and persons with disabilities (PWDs), and the state-specific U.S. Medicaid program for those with limited income as well as seniors, children, PWDs, qualified pregnant women, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. She also discussed the features of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Health Insurance Marketplace. U.S. citizens, and non-citizens who have been lawfully present in the U.S. for five years may qualify for these programs.
Additional information on PhilHealth as well as access to the Member Portal can be found on their website (http://philhealth.gov.ph). Information on U.S. health insurance programs are available on the following websites: U.S. Medicare (https://medicare.gov); U.S. Medicaid (https://medicaid.gov/renewals); Health Insurance Marketplace (https://healthcare.gov); State Health Insurance Assistance Program (https://shiphelp.org). END
Atilano Sabulao III and Janice Lagasca of PhilHealth’s Overseas Filipino Program, during their presentation of PhilHealth benefits and services for overseas Filipinos. (San Francisco PCG screenshots)