STARTING July 1, employers in the government and private sectors must present the Statement of Premium Accounts (S.P.A.) before their premium contributions will be accepted by accredited collecting partners of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
By virtue of PhilHealth Circular 2016-0008 which was published last June 4, the S.P.A. replaces the PhilHealth Premium Payment Slip (PPPS) for employer contributions. The S.P.A. can be generated by the employers through their own accounts using the Electronic Premium Remittance System (EPRS).
Payments to be made within the month of July are for the June 2016 premium contributions of employees and the employer counterpart amounts.
“We are calling on our partner-employers to be EPRS-compliant now. This system spells convenience for them where remitting and reporting their premium contributions are concerned,” said PhilHealth President and CEO Alexander A. Padilla.
The EPRS is an online platform designed to eliminate the manual system of updating employers list, premium remittance and reporting of their employees’ contributions to PhilHealth. The use of EPRS has been mandated for all employers since April 2015 per PhilHealth Circular No. 004-2015.
The latest edition of the EPRS, called Version 3.1 enables employers to remit their premium contributions online. It also assures them of almost real-time posting of their payments, and makes it easy for them to similarly update their employee records. For now, the online payment facility is available through Security Bank's DigiBanker. Soon, other banks are expected to make their systems available for the online payment, as well.
The new policy also calls on accredited collecting agents (ACAs) to ensure that all premium payments of employers, whether delayed or not, with interests, surcharges or none, shall be supported by a S.P.A. Thus, only the amount due as stated in the S.P.A. shall be accepted. Underpayments or overpayments will not be permitted even if the PPPS is presented, along with the S.P.A.
The S.P.A. number will serve as the ACAs’ reference when accepting NHIP premiums from employers.
All Employers, including National Government Agencies using the Expanded Modified Direct Payment Scheme (ExMDPS) or the Electronic Payment System such as the the e-Gov facility, are advised to immediately coordinate with their respective PhilHealth Accounts Management Specialists (PAIMS) or to visit the nearest PhilHealth office to register with and be oriented on the EPRS.
Further inquiries on the EPRS may also be referred to the Corporate Action Center at (02) 441-7442 or may be emailed to actioncenter@philhealth.gov.ph. (Faudia H. Subillaga)
