PHILHEALTH: Free Coverage for Solo Parents & their Children

Updated October 21, 2026: PhilHealth Circular No. 2026-0015 expands and clarifies coverage for registered solo parents and qualified dependents. The original 2024 guidance is preserved below for historical reference.

2026 update: PhilHealth contributions for employed solo parents

Under PhilHealth Circular No. 2026-0015, published September 26, 2026, qualified solo parents employed in the formal sector do not have to pay the employee portion of their PhilHealth premium once their records are correctly updated. The employer and national government share the required premium equally; employers still remit their portion. The government-covered portion is treated as non-collectible from the member under PhilHealth remittance procedures.

Who qualifies and what to submit

Registered solo parents should maintain a valid Solo Parent Identification Card (SPIC) issued through their local government and update their PhilHealth membership information. Employed members should coordinate with their HR or employer’s PhilHealth representative regarding the PhilHealth Member Registration Form (PMRF), a copy of the valid SPIC, and employer certification. Check directly with PhilHealth for the applicable submission channel and status of your record before assuming payroll deductions have stopped. Renew the SPIC when required and report updates to PhilHealth.

Benefits and qualified dependents

The circular covers registered solo parents and eligible children or dependents, subject to PhilHealth validation rules. Benefits include applicable National Health Insurance Program packages, PhilHealth YAKAP primary care and GAMOT medicines, as well as no co-payment/no balance billing protections where program rules apply. Eligibility for dependents must be verified against the circular and PhilHealth records; coverage is not unlimited for every family member.

Official references: PhilHealth Circular 2026-0015 (PDF) and PhilHealth’s 2026 circulars and explanatory FAQs. The 2024 circular and original coverage explanation remain below.

PHILHEALTH: FREE COVERAGE NOW AVAILABLE FOR SOLO PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN!

According to PhilHealth’s Memorandum Circular 2024-0020, registered solo parents and their children are now automatically enrolled as National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) members.

This is part of Republic Act No. 11861, also known as the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act. Solo parents will be enrolled as principal members under the “indirect contributor” membership type, with “solo parent” as the subtype.

Qualified solo parents must submit the revised PhilHealth membership registration form to be included in the PhilHealth coverage.

Only parents with a VALID SOLO PARENT ID will be registered for free PhilHealth coverage. Therefore, they must first obtain a Solo Parent Identification Card (SPIC) from their local government unit to update their PhilHealth membership records.

For more details, refer to PhilHealth Circular 2024-0020: Automatic Coverage of Solo Parents and their Children or Dependents to the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP).

Download

PhilHealth Circular 2024-0020 below:

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