President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has announced a significant expansion of maternity benefits under Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, aiming to ease the financial pressure on Filipino families and ensure safer and more dignified childbirth experiences.
Stronger financial support for delivery
Starting April 30, PhilHealth will significantly raise its coverage for maternity care. Normal delivery benefits will increase from P9,750 to P29,000, nearly three times higher than the previous amount.
For cesarean section deliveries, coverage will also see a substantial boost, ranging from P58,000 to P62,000, up from P37,050. The adjustment reflects rising hospital and medical costs, with the goal of ensuring that families are not forced to delay or compromise essential care due to financial limits.
Marcos emphasized that childbirth should be a moment of safety and care, not stress over expenses.
Expanded care for mothers before and after birth
PhilHealth is also strengthening prenatal services, increasing covered checkups from four to eight. These visits include essential services such as vaccinations, laboratory tests, and regular monitoring to help ensure healthier pregnancies.
The expansion continues even after delivery. Mothers and newborns will now be entitled to three postnatal checkups, fully covered by PhilHealth. These follow-up visits are designed to support recovery, monitor infant health, and provide continued medical guidance during the critical early weeks of motherhood.
Continued push for accessible healthcare
This marks the third increase in maternity-related benefits under the Marcos administration. In 2024, PhilHealth implemented a 30 percent adjustment across benefit packages, followed by a 50 percent increase in 2025 to further reduce out-of-pocket expenses and strengthen financial protection for patients.
Before these reforms, coverage was significantly lower, P5,000 for normal delivery and P19,000 for cesarean procedures, leaving many families to shoulder most of the costs.
“Our goal is simple, to ensure that every mother can give birth safely without worrying about how to pay,” Marcos said, underscoring the government’s commitment to more accessible and compassionate healthcare.
