This guide will teach you how to get PhilHealth ID, whether it’s the regular PhilHealth ID or the PhilHealth Insurance ID card.

Disclaimer: This article has been published for educational purposes only. Neither the author nor FilipiKnow is affiliated with PhilHealth, so specific queries about your membership and insurance benefits must be forwarded to the proper authority.

Related: How to Get or Retrieve Your PhilHealth Number: An Ultimate Guide

What Is PhilHealth ID?

The PhilHealth Identification Card proves that the holder is a PhilHealth member entitled to government-mandated health insurance benefits.

Types of PhilHealth ID

Is PhilHealth ID a valid ID? It depends on the kind of ID you have.

Two types of ID are issued to PhilHealth members: the regular PhilHealth ID and the digitized PhilHealth Insurance ID card.

Here are the differences between the two PhilHealth ID types.

1. Regular PhilHealth ID

PhilHealth issues regular ID cards for free to all members upon registration or updating membership records. 

When presented to avail of inpatient or outpatient benefits, the regular PhilHealth ID helps speed up insurance claim processing. 

Looking like a business card, the regular PhilHealth ID is made of card stock that can be laminated. Unlike other government-issued IDs, such as the UMID and driver’s license, the regular PhilHealth ID has a more straightforward design and no security features.

Thus, most government and financial institutions don’t accept it as a primary valid ID.

How to apply for a regular PhilHealth ID

When registering at any PhilHealth office, the regular ID is issued along with the PhilHealth number and Member Data Record (MDR). Thus, if you get a regular PhilHealth ID for the first time, you must first apply for PhilHealth registration.

If you’re a first-time employee and your employer filed your membership application for you, wait for the HR department to issue your PhilHealth ID and MDR.

If you’ve become a voluntary member through PhilHealth online registration, here are the steps to get a regular PhilHealth ID.

1. Visit any PhilHealth office (PhilHealth branches in malls also issue regular IDs). Bring your PhilHealth number and two valid IDs.
2. Approach a PhilHealth officer and get a Request Form and a queue number.
3. Fill out the Request Form. Check the box next to “PhilHealth Identification Card (PIC).”
4. When your number is called, give your accomplished form to the officer.
5. The officer will process your request. Wait for a few minutes until your ID is printed and issued. Check if all the information is correct.

Don’t have time to request a PhilHealth ID personally? You can ask a representative to apply on your behalf.

Write and sign an authorization letter and give it along with your valid ID to your representative. The authorized representative must also present his/her valid ID when filing your PhilHealth ID request.

Once you get your regular PhilHealth ID, don’t forget to attach your 1×1 ID photo, sign below it, and have it laminated.

2. Digitized PhilHealth Insurance ID Card

The PhilHealth Insurance ID is a digitized PVC card that’s optional for employed members. Like the regular ID, the digitized ID is used for faster PhilHealth transactions.

The PhilHealth Insurance ID card is a valid ID honored in government and bank transactions, according to PhilHealth. It also entitles the holder to discounts on medical services and medicines from PhilHealth’s partner hospitals and pharmacies.

This health insurance ID costs PHP 90. Members may also include their dependent for an additional fee of PHP 358.

How to apply for PhilHealth Insurance ID Card

PhilHealth used to issue digitized IDs to both employed and voluntary members. But presently, the issuance of the PVC-type ID to voluntary members is put on hold.

Only employed members can get this ID through their company HR, which will order the ID cards in bulk for their employees.

So if you’re an employee interested in getting a digitized PhilHealth ID, coordinate with your HR department on how to apply for one.

How To Replace Lost/Damaged PhilHealth ID

The procedure for PhilHealth ID replacement is the same as that for new regular ID applications. You must submit an additional document if your ID card is lost or damaged.

To replace a lost ID, submit an Affidavit of Loss. The notary public usually has a ready-made template for this kind of affidavit. Update: One of our readers shared that the PhilHealth branch he transacted with no longer requires an Affidavit of Loss.

To replace a damaged ID, you must surrender your old ID card at the PhilHealth office when applying for a new one.

Tips and Warnings

• Beware of fixers offering online assistance for the PhilHealth ID application. Always directly transact with the PhilHealth office when requesting a PhilHealth ID, MDR, or other PhilHealth-related documents. If you cannot personally visit the PhilHealth office to register, you can send an email request to actioncenter@philhealth.gov.ph. For more information about PhilHealth registration via email, click here.