PhilHealth grants free teleconsult services to solo parents, dependents

The state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has granted free teleconsult health services for solo parents and their dependents, Camarines Sur lawmaker LRay Villafuerte said Wednesday.

Villafuerte said this PhilHealth benefit for single parents and their registered children or dependents, as registered in the respective Solo Parents Offices (SPOs) or Solo Parent Divisions (SPDs) of the cities or municipalities where they live, is provided under the PhilHealth Circular No. 2024-0020 released last September 28 and anchored on the Expanded Solo Parent law.

The PhilHealth benefit, Villafuerte said, specifically provides solo parents with PhilHealth Konsulta Package in accordance with the existing policy, and can sign up, along with their children or dependents, with an accredited PhilHealth Konsulta Provider of their choice.

The law also increased the age threshold of the dependents entitled to the law’s benefits from 18 years old to 22, and expanded the coverage of spouses to include not only the legitimate husbands or wives but also their partners in common-law relationships as defined by the Family Code.

“In its Circular 2024-0020, PhilHealth said that the automatic coverage is in step with Section 2(a) of RA 11861, which has set the State policy to “provide adequate social services, promote, full employment, a rising standard of living and an improved quality of life,” Villafuerte said.

These PhilHealth benefits are on top of the monthly cash subsidy for single parents earning the minimum wage or below and a  10% discount plus exemption from the 12% value-added tax (VAT) on certain essential purchases already provided by the law.

Those over 22 years old but who are unable to fully take care or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition also qualify as dependents of solo parents.

Qualified solo parents are also entitled to the same privileges on their purchases of branded or generic medicines, vaccines and medical supplements, provided that these are medically prescribed by attending physicians for preventing or treating diseases, illnesses and injuries, and whose prescriptions are in the names of the qualified children.

“The pitch by President Marcos for solo parents in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2022 should prompt local executives  to put up SPOs or SPDs in their respective localities, if they haven’t done so yet, in compliance with Republic Act 11861 [on Solo Parents],” Villafuerte said.

“The Department of Social Welfare and Development  (DSWD), in coordination with the DILG, should also immediately establish and maintain, as provided in this new Act, a centralized database of all solo parents issued SPICs and booklets by the LGUs,” he added.

--VAL, GMA Integrated News