Assessment and Strategy to Cover the Informal Sector
Backed by a presidential mandate for universal health coverage, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has aggressively worked to improve coverage, services, and financial protection. PhilHealth insures an impressive 85 percent of Filipinos, yet 18.5 million informal sector workers such as fishermen and micro-entrepreneurs have remained elusive.
ThinkWell supported PhilHealth’s initiative on provider payment reform for private providers to improve coverage, services, and financial protection. To help PhilHealth reach uninsured informal sector workers, we assessed and identified non-traditional private-sector partners—such as pawn shops and microfinance institutions—that could help expand enrollment. We also proposed strategies to leverage PhilHealth’s growing purchasing power to expand the scheme’s influence in health reform efforts.
Read our analysis and recommendations report.