Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are vulnerable to sickness while working in a foreign land so a medical assistance will surely be a great benefit for them. The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) aims to address the health needs of Filipino workers in Hong Kong by sending regular representative missions that will attend to Philhealth concerns of OFWs there.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that representatives from Philhealth will be tasked to organize information campaigns to OFWs so they will be well informed about their rights and privileges as a Philhealth member.

According to an article that appeared in the website of the DFA, "The PhilHealth official, who will be in Hong Kong for two weeks every quarter, will perform her duties for the first time on 03-16 August."

An open forum and presentation will also be organized by PhilHealth staff and officials of the Philippine Embassy there on August 2, Sunday at around 2 pm at the Bayanihan Center in Kennedy Town.

The president and chief executive officer of Philhealth, Dr. Rey Aquino said that this initiative is the reply of their agency to the request of member-OFWs that they bring Philhealth benefits more accessible and closer to them.

The representative mission in Hong Kong is only the first move of Philhealth as they intend to bring the same services to other areas where there are many OFWs as well.

Aquino said, “Eventually, we hope to replicate this initiative in other countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and even the Middle East where a lot of OFWs earn a living for their families."

Some of the information that Philhealth representatives will provide through their campaigns is guides on how to avail the benefits and how to renew Philhealth membership. Filipino workers can also ask their queries and concerns about the timely payment of their premiums and reimbursement claims of members which were confined in Hong Kong hospitals

Aquino added, “The representative will also attend OFW gatherings or meetings and coordinate with Filipino organizations in Hong Kong to facilitate the conduct of information campaigns on PhilHealth membership."

To be included in the Overseas Workers Program (OWP) of Philhealth, the workers are required to pay their annual premium before they went overseas to work. This assures that they are eligible for health insurance benefits in case they are hospitalized in a foreign land.

The CEO explained, “Through their membership, actively paying OFWs also ensure that their family members in the Philippines are similarly covered by PhilHealth, meaning, they can avail themselves of the hospitalization benefits should the need arise."