Marcos announces higher PhilHealth maternity benefits

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday announced the expansion of the coverage and an increase in the rates of maternity benefits provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

In a video message, Marcos said that under the expanded program, which takes effect on April 30, PhilHealth coverage for normal delivery will increase almost three times from P9,750 to P29,000.

Accessible prenatal care

For cesarean section delivery, coverage will be raised from P37,050 to between P58,000 and P62,000—an increase ranging from 56.5 percent to 67.3 percent.

Prenatal care has also been expanded from four checkups to eight, including vaccinations and laboratory tests.

After giving birth, a mother bringing her child can have three follow-up visits, and their costs should also shouldered by PhilHealth.

Marcos reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensure accessible prenatal care, including “checkups, laboratory tests, hospital expenses, and medicines.”

“My fellow Filipinos, we know how expensive childbirth can be,” the President said in his video message. “When money falls short, we are forced to wait or cut back. This is where the danger begins.”

“Many mothers give birth without a doctor, not because they do not want proper care, but because they cannot afford the costs. This is what we aim to change,” Marcos said.

READ: Yamsuan: Pass bill on maternity benefits for informal women workers

Earlier benefit packages

This will be the third time under the Marcos administration that benefit packages related to maternity care have been increased.

In February 2024, PhilHealth adopted a 30-percent increase, which it called the “inflation adjustment factor,” for almost all its 9,000 benefit packages. This was the state insurer’s first increase since 2013, when it first implemented the case-based reimbursement system for health-care providers.

Before 2024, the normal delivery package was only at P5,000, while PhilHealth only covered up to P19,000 for a cesarean section procedure.

In January 2025, PhilHealth set a 50-percent hike in almost all its medical and procedural case rates “to increase support value, decrease out-of-pocket payment, increase financial risk protection and ensure the effective delivery of high-quality health services.”

“Our goal is simple — to ensure that every mother can give birth safely without worrying about how to pay,” Marcos said.

“We want to make sure that no life is put at risk simply because of a lack of money,” he said. /cb /atm