PhilHealth to AFP Pensioners: Continue your CoverageOctober 26, 2011

TO ensure the continuing health insurance coverage of pensioners of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the AFP established a mechanism that will allow these pensioners to continue their premium contributions.

The partnership was launched yesterday at the General Headquarters of the AFP in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. PhilHealth President and CEO Dr. Eduardo P. Banzon and BGen. Raoul J. Reyes, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, J1 of the AFP signed the operational guidelines for the joint undertaking.

Both PhilHealth and the AFP have agreed to focus on former AFP personnel who retired from service before the mandatory age (optional retirees) and who are not yet 56 years old.

The AFP-PhilHealth undertaking is open to optional retirees who are not yet qualified under the Lifetime Member Program since they retired from service before turning 56 years old, which is the mandatory age of retirement for uniformed personnel. The joint program also welcomes legal beneficiaries or survivor-pensioners of retired and deceased AFP pensioners.

The Individually Paying Program (IPP) is available to AFP pensioners through which they can continue their premium contributions. Under the program, these retirees and pensioners may now have their PhilHealth premium contributions automatically deducted from their pension.

As individually paying members, AFP pensioners may be deducted the monthly premium of PhP 100. With their renewed participation in the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), their families are assured of access to quality health care services through PhilHealth's wide network of health care providers nationwide.

Interested AFP pensioners may go to the nearest AFP camps and PhilHealth offices, or download the Authority to Deduct (ATD) PhilHealth Premium Form, a waiver form for AFP pensioners who will signify interest on pension deduction and PhilHealth Member Registration Form (PMRF) for updating of records and/or generation of PhilHealth Identification Numbers (PINs) for those without PINs yet.

They may also visit or get in touch with either the AFP- Pension or Gratuity Management Center (PGMC) at 701-7781 and email: afppgmc_updating@yahoo.com or opvaleroso@yahoo.com, or the AFP Finance Center at 911-8202. They may also call the PhilHealth Special Programs Department in Pasig City at 634-2165 or through email: afppensioner@philhealth.gov.ph. (END)