ABS-CBN E-Moneyplus, Inc. Now PhilHealth-Accredited March 9, 2011

HERE's good news to our kababayans abroad: paying your health insurance premiums even while overseas is now worry-free.

A new partnership between the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and ABS-CBN E-Moneyplus Inc. will enable overseas Filipino workers to keep their PhilHealth premium payments updated, thanks to the latter's wide network of foreign tie-ups that OFWs can tap.

The ABS-CBN E-Money Plus Inc. is a remittance business of media giant ABS-CBN and is categorized as a non-bank remittance center whose scope of services include a fully automated collection scheme. The center currently accepts remittances like credit-to-bank, door-to-door, and cash build through their foreign offices and tie-ups in nine (9) countries abroad namely, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Saudi, Qatar, Canada, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Taiwan.

The collection and remittance agreement recently entered into by PhilHealth and ABS-CBN E-Moneyplus, Inc. accredits the latter as a collecting agent of PhilHealth for the premium contribution of OFWs, as well as of new members that may be enrolled overseas.

OFWs paying through ABS-CBN E-Money Plus Inc. may use the currency at their job site in paying the amount equivalent to the prescribed contribution converted to Philippine peso, based on the prevailing bank exchange rates at the time of payment.

The agreement also calls for ABS-CBN E-Moneyplus to support initiatives such as information, education, and communication campaign through its foreign offices and tie-ups abroad in order to apprise PhilHealth members about the developments in premium payments, benefits and benefits availment procedures.

According to Raymund M. Abog, General Manager of ABS-CBN E-Moneyplus Inc., the similarity of the intention and mission of PhilHealth and ABS-CBN to provide service to the Filipino people worldwide motivated them to forge the tie-up. On the other hand, Dr. Rey B. Aquino, President and CEO of PhilHealth, appreciated the move, saying that "...through our collecting agents like ABS-CBN E-Moneyplus Inc., there is no need for PhilHealth to put up offices or send mobile officers abroad which are very costly."

Among ABS-CBN E-Moneyplus, Inc.'s foreign tie-ups are Thomas Cook, Redha Alansari, Alansari, and Al Fuad in the UAE; Al Ektasad and Al Fuad in Kuwait; Czarina in Hongkong; Bank Albilad in Saudi Arabia; Al Dar and Trust Exchange in Qatar; Reliable Peso Remit in Canada; Aesco in Lebanon; Nonoo Exchange in Bahrain; and Vingo in Taiwan. (Jonathan M. Yao, PAD)