Not all senior citizens are registered and may automatically access medical benefits offered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

This was gathered following the recent announcement made by National Commission of Senior Citizens Chairman Frank Quijano that senior citizens must check their Philhealth registration.

Quijano told the Bagong Pilipinas public briefing that the elderly need also to coordinate with Philhealth-accredited diagnostics laboratories and clinics in the country to avail of their free annual physical examination.

Quijano lamented that there has been a widespread assumption that all elderly folk are covered by Philhealth under the Universal Health Care Law.

While this may be correct, there remains a number of instances when it would be necessary to check with Philhealth their membership status.

“Isa iyan na dapat gawin ng lahat ng (seniors. Check if you are registered, especially those who are retired. Kumpiyansang-kumpiyansa sila na hindi na sila kailangang magrehistro, iyon pala ginawang dormant,” said the NCSC chief.

“Ang pangalawa, may mga accredited PhilHealth diagnostic laboratories and clinic. Doon tayo magpapa-annual (Second, there are accredited PhilHealth diagnostic laboratories and clinics, that is where we should go for our annual) physical, medical, dental, optical, even geriatric examination,” he added.

One-year health insurance premiums of qualified indigent Filipinos, including senior citizens, are covered by the P25.16 billion budgetary allocation granted by government to Philhealth.