Iloilo city: The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is reminding self-paying members to secure their statement of premium account (SPA) before paying their premium contribution, as the 'No SPA, No Payment' policy takes effect on Wednesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Janimhe Jalbuna, the head of the public affairs unit of PhilHealth 6 (Western Visayas), stated that the SPA is essential for members to understand the exact premium amount due for a specific payment period. Members can obtain their SPA from PhilHealth Regional Offices, Local Health Insurance Offices, or through the member portal links provided by PhilHealth.

Jalbuna further explained that previously, voluntary members could make payments over the counter at regional offices or through accredited collecting agents by merely declaring the period and amount they intended to pay. However, with the new system, payments are digitized, and the system automatically calculates the premium contribution based on the declared income in the database.

For members needing assistance with their SPA, they can visit PhilHealth offices or reach out via PhilHealth-6's Facebook page or Messenger. Data indicates that out of more than 7.69 million registered PhilHealth members in Western Visayas as of February, 762,867 are voluntary or self-paying. These members include professional practitioners, self-earning individuals, Filipinos with dual citizenship or those living abroad, land-based migrant workers, and individuals aged 21 and above with the capacity to pay.