National Health Insurance Program (PhilHealth) PhilHealth is the national health insurance scheme. It covers the premiums for poor and vulnerable households to participate in the NHIP to effectively assure them of access to free medical services. The program covered about 9.6 million beneficiary households in 2013, covering 31.6 million direct beneficiaries, 146 representing about one-third of the population. Objectives: sessions, which include topics on responsible parenting, health, and nutrition; 3. Children aged 0-5 must receive regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines; 4. Children aged 6-14 must receive deworming pills twice a year; and 5. Childrenbeneficiaries aged 3-18 must enroll in school and maintain an attendance of at least 85% of class days every month.144 3 types of PhilHealth membership: (as of writing) -indigents identified through the NHTS-PR operated by the DWSD (premiums for this group are financed entirely by the national government) -sponsored members identified as needy by local government or other agencies, whose premiums may be paid by a The direct benefit provided is the premium paid on behalf of the beneficiary. Members granted lifetime coverage are entitled to full PhilHealth benefits and are no longer required to pay premiums. The true value of the benefit consists of the effective value of the medical services received by the beneficiaries148 The package of 144 Coverage/Conditions and Compliance, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Official Gazette, available from https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/programs/conditional-cash-transfer/ 145 Ibid. Cash grants 146 Statistics, Bureau of Labor and Employment, 2014 45