The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECoP) has expressed its support for the expansion of benefit packages for members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
In a statement, the group urged PhilHealth to provide additional and differentiated benefits to direct contributors.
ECoP also called for the removal of the 24-hour confinement rule, which strips coverage from discharged patients.
The group stressed that PhilHealth must ensure that every peso paid by a working Filipino translates into real, accessible protection for that Filipino and their families.
Direct contributors, which include employed workers, self-employed professionals, and employers, paid P209 billion in premiums last year.
However, contributors only availed of P121 billion in claims, equivalent to 42% of the P289.2 billion in claims that PhilHealth processed in 2025.
About 58% or P167.9 billion were reimbursements for indirect members, who are classified under Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act.
Direct contributors are required to pay a monthly contribution ranging from P500 to P5,000, depending on their basic salary, at a 5% premium rate.
Indirect contributors and their dependents include senior citizens, persons with disability, indigents, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries, and those without the capacity to pay, whose premiums are subsidized by the National Government.
ECoP warned that PhilHealth risks losing public trust if its members do not reap the benefits of their contributions.
