PhilHealth Dependents: Who You Cover for Free
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation · membership
Quick answer
PhilHealth qualified dependents enjoy coverage without additional premiums: the legitimate spouse who is not a member, children below 21 who are unmarried and unemployed, children 21 and over with a qualifying disability, a foster child under RA 10165, and parents 60 years and above.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from PhilHealth's official published sources: PhilHealth | Members, qualified dependents (https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/members/, retrieved 2026-09-01); PhilHealth | Advisory No. 2026-0042, Reimbursement Claims Abroad and Premium Contributions (https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/advisories/2026/PA2026-0042.pdf, retrieved 2026-09-01); PhilHealth | Online Services (https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/services/, retrieved 2026-09-01). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with PhilHealth before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-09-01.
A PhilHealth membership covers more than the member, and it does so at no additional premium. That is PhilHealth’s own wording, and it is the single most valuable thing about the programme that people do not use.
Who qualifies
| # | Dependent | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legitimate spouse | Who is not a member |
| 2 | Children: legitimate, legitimated, acknowledged, illegitimate as appearing in the birth certificate, adopted, stepchild or stepchildren | Below 21 years of age, unmarried and unemployed |
| 3 | Children 21 years or above | Suffering from a congenital disability, either physical or mental, or any acquired disability rendering them totally dependent on the member for support, as determined by the Corporation |
| 4 | Foster child | As defined in RA 10165, the Foster Care Act of 2012 |
| 5 | Parents | 60 years old and above |
The three conditions on a child
Row 2 carries three tests at once, and failing any one of them ends the dependency.
| Test | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Age | Below 21 years |
| Civil status | Unmarried |
| Employment | Unemployed |
Past 21, only the disability route in row 3 keeps a child covered.
Parents, and the senior citizen overlap
A parent aged 60 and above is a qualified dependent. Separately, PhilHealth publishes a Senior Citizen membership category for Filipino citizens resident in the Philippines aged 60 years or above who are not currently covered by any other membership category, and it explicitly includes qualified dependents of members in other categories who are themselves senior citizens.
So a parent over 60 may be reached either way. The membership categories guide covers the Senior Citizen route and OSCA enrolment.
What it costs you
| Figure | |
|---|---|
| Additional premium per dependent | ₱0.00 |
| Your own premium | 5.0% of monthly income |
| Minimum monthly premium | ₱500.00 |
| Maximum monthly premium | ₱5,000.00 |
| Income floor | ₱10,000.00 |
| Income ceiling | ₱100,000.00 |
A member at the floor pays ₱500.00 a month whether they have no dependents or five. The contribution table covers the bands.
Adding and updating them
| Route | Detail |
|---|---|
| Member Portal | Access your records and the MDR; view or print the MDR |
| Address | memberinquiry.philhealth.gov.ph/member |
| LHIO | Record updating may be done through any PhilHealth Local Health Insurance Office |
| What shows the result | Your Member Data Record |
The MDR guide covers reading it, and the offices guide finding an LHIO.
Dependents abroad
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who | OFWs and dependents, wherever they are abroad |
| What | Reimbursement of confinements overseas at the applicable PhilHealth All Case Rate |
| Deadline | Filed within 180 days from the date of discharge |
| Back home | Other benefits and services including YAKAP and the Z benefits from contracted providers |
The YAKAP guide covers the primary care programme.
The PSA documents a dependent needs
PhilHealth does not publish a documentary checklist per dependent type on the pages read for this guide. What is certain is that the relationships above are proved by civil registry documents, and these are their published costs.
| Relationship | Document | Published fee |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | PSA marriage certificate | ₱130.00, viewable 60 days |
| Child | PSA birth certificate | ₱130.00 |
| Parent | PSA birth certificate, yours | ₱130.00 |
| Civil status in question | PSA CENOMAR | ₱185.00 |
| A wrong entry | Correction under RA 9048 | ₱1,000.00, or ₱3,000.00 for a change of first name |
A member adding a spouse and two children needs three PSA documents at ₱390.00 in total. That is arithmetic on PSA’s published fee, not a PhilHealth requirement.
How other agencies treat dependents
| Agency | Dependent benefit | Where it is covered |
|---|---|---|
| PhilHealth | Coverage at no additional premium | This page |
| SSS | Dependent’s pension of 10% of the monthly pension or ₱250, up to 5 children | SSS death and funeral benefit |
| SSS | The same 10% or ₱250 for a total disability pensioner | SSS disability benefit |
| OWWA | ODSP scholarship at ₱20,000 for an OFW’s dependent | OWWA scholarship |
| OWWA | Death benefit ₱100,000.00 to ₱200,000.00 to a qualified dependent | OWWA benefits |
What this page does not cover
PhilHealth does not publish, on the pages read for this guide, the documentary requirements for declaring each type of dependent, a limit on the number of dependents, the process and turnaround for adding one, how a dependency ends in practice, or how the Corporation determines a qualifying disability. None of those are stated here.
Related
The membership categories guide covers which category you and your dependents fall into. The MDR guide covers the record that lists them.
Frequently asked questions
- Do dependents cost extra?
- No. PhilHealth states that qualified dependents enjoy PhilHealth coverage without additional premiums.
- Who counts as a qualified dependent?
- The legitimate spouse who is not a member; children whether legitimate, legitimated, acknowledged, illegitimate as appearing in the birth certificate, adopted, stepchild or stepchildren, below 21 years of age, unmarried and unemployed; children 21 years old or above suffering from a congenital disability, physical or mental, or any acquired disability rendering them totally dependent on the member for support as determined by the Corporation; a foster child as defined in RA 10165; and parents who are 60 years old and above.
- What happens when my child turns 21?
- The under-21 route requires the child to be below 21, unmarried and unemployed. From 21 the child qualifies only through the disability route: a congenital disability, physical or mental, or an acquired disability rendering them totally dependent on the member for support, as determined by the Corporation.
- What is RA 10165?
- The Foster Care Act of 2012. PhilHealth accepts a foster child as defined in that law as a qualified dependent.
- Are my parents covered?
- Parents who are 60 years old and above are qualified dependents. Separately, PhilHealth publishes a Senior Citizen membership category for Filipinos 60 and above not currently covered by any other category, and qualified dependents of members who are themselves senior citizens fall within it.
- Does my spouse need to be a member?
- The dependent route applies to a legitimate spouse who is not a member. A spouse who is a member is covered in their own right under their own category.
- How do I add or update a dependent?
- Through your Member Data Record. PhilHealth's Member Portal gives access to your records and lets you view or print the MDR, and record updating may be done through any PhilHealth Local Health Insurance Office or through the Member Portal.
- Are my dependents covered while I work abroad?
- PhilHealth states that OFWs and dependents, wherever they are abroad, are entitled to avail benefits through reimbursement of confinements overseas at the applicable All Case Rate, with claims filed within 180 days from the date of discharge.