Manila: The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has announced the reinstatement of its annual PHP20,000 Guaranteed Medicines Access Program (GAMOT) benefit, effective January 1. This benefit is available to every member and dependent and is capped per calendar year, covering eligible outpatient medicines under the GAMOT program.

According to Philippines News Agency, PhilHealth has clarified that any unused GAMOT benefit from the previous year will not be carried over to the current year. Members and dependents are therefore encouraged to fully utilize this benefit within the year to help alleviate out-of-pocket expenses for essential medicines.

PhilHealth has also issued a reminder to its partner healthcare providers that the deadline for the submission of accreditation renewal applications for the calendar year 2026 has been extended until January 14. Providers must ensure that their applications are complete, with no gap in their Department of Health (DOH) license to operate or certification, and submitted by the extended deadline to maintain continuous accreditation.

The state insurer cautioned that applications submitted after January 14 will be considered as re-accreditation, potentially leading to delays or interruptions in PhilHealth accreditation, which could impact service delivery to members. Providers are advised to submit their applications to their respective Local Health Insurance Offices or PhilHealth Regional Offices (PROs).

PhilHealth stated that the extension aims to provide partner providers with additional time to meet accreditation requirements, thereby ensuring uninterrupted access to health services for PhilHealth members across the nation. For any inquiries, providers are encouraged to coordinate with their PROs or contact the official PhilHealth hotlines.