What does the PhilHealth Newborn Care Package include?

The package includes Essential Newborn Care, Vitamin K administration, eye prophylaxis, BCG and Hepatitis B vaccinations, newborn screening, and a newborn hearing test. These services are provided as a single bundled case rate rather than billed separately.

Do I need to file a separate claim for my newborn?

The newborn benefit is processed as a separate PhilHealth claim from the mother's delivery benefit, but the hospital's PhilHealth desk usually files both claims on behalf of the family. Parents generally only need to provide the newborn's birth certificate and any required supporting documents.

How long does my newborn need to stay in the hospital to qualify?

A newborn generally needs to remain in the hospital for at least 24 hours after birth to qualify for the package. An exception applies if the baby requires immediate referral to a higher-level medical facility because of health complications.

When should newborn screening be done for PhilHealth coverage?

Newborn screening should ideally be performed after the baby reaches 24 hours of age but no later than three days after delivery. Premature or critically ill newborns admitted to intensive care are exempt from the three-day requirement and should be screened within seven days of birth.

Is the Newborn Care Package available at all hospitals?

The PhilHealth Newborn Care Package is available at PhilHealth-accredited hospitals, infirmaries, birthing homes, and lying-in clinics that provide delivery and newborn care services. Confirming your chosen facility's accreditation before delivery can help avoid claim issues.

PhilHealth Newborn Care Package: What's Covered and How to Claim It

Q: What is the PhilHealth Newborn Care Package?

The PhilHealth Newborn Care Package is a benefit that covers a newborn's essential care immediately after birth, including vaccinations, screening tests, and preventive interventions. It is filed as a separate claim from the mother's delivery benefit and applies automatically at any PhilHealth-accredited facility that performs deliveries.

Q: How much is the PhilHealth Newborn Care Package?

The package was increased from ₱1,750 to ₱2,950 under PhilHealth Circular 2018-0021, effective January 2019, and has been adjusted further in later circulars. To confirm the current benefit amount, check with your hospital's PhilHealth desk before delivery.

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Newborn Care
Package 2026

Learn what the PhilHealth Newborn Care Package covers,
who qualifies, the latest benefit amount,
included services, and how to claim your baby’s healthcare benefits.

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Quick Answer

The PhilHealth Newborn Care Package (NCP) covers essential health services given to a baby within the first hours and days of life, including Vitamin K, eye prophylaxis, BCG and Hepatitis B vaccination, newborn screening, and a hearing test. It was enhanced under PhilHealth Circular 2018-0021, raising the package amount from ₱1,750 to ₱2,950 effective January 2019, and the exact figure has been adjusted further in later circulars, so confirming the current rate with your hospital’s PhilHealth desk is worth doing before delivery.
The package is automatically available to every newborn delivered at a PhilHealth-accredited hospital, infirmary, or birthing home, filed as its own separate claim rather than bundled into the mother’s delivery claim. Most parents never need to do anything beyond providing the baby’s birth certificate, since the facility typically processes this benefit as part of standard newborn care.

What Is the PhilHealth Newborn Care Package?

The Newborn Care Package is PhilHealth’s benefit for a baby’s essential care immediately following birth, separate from the Maternity Care Package that covers the mother’s delivery. It exists to make sure every newborn receives a defined set of preventive and screening services regardless of the family’s ability to pay out of pocket.
PhilHealth designed the NCP around reducing infant morbidity and mortality by catching congenital disorders early, before they develop into lifelong conditions far more costly to manage. The package applies at any PhilHealth-accredited facility that performs deliveries and provides newborn care, including hospitals, infirmaries or dispensaries, and birthing homes or lying-in clinics.

What’s Included in the Package

The Newborn Care Package bundles together the specific interventions a baby needs in the first hours and days after delivery.

Essential Newborn Care (ENC), the standard set of immediate post-birth procedures, including drying, skin-to-skin contact, and delayed cord clamping.
Vitamin K administration, given to prevent bleeding disorders in newborns.
Eye prophylaxis, protecting against infection.
BCG vaccination, protecting against tuberculosis.
Hepatitis B vaccination, given shortly after birth.
Newborn Screening (NBS), a blood test checking for congenital metabolic disorders.
Newborn Hearing Screening Test (NHS), checking for hearing impairment early enough for intervention to help.

Facilities record Hepatitis B and BCG vaccination under drugs and medicines on the claim form, while newborn screening and hearing tests fall under laboratories, supplies, and other services. Parents don’t need to track this coding detail themselves, but it explains why the claim sometimes looks itemized differently than the mother’s.

How Much Does the Newborn Care Package Cover?

The Newborn Care Package was raised from ₱1,750 to ₱2,950 under Circular 2018-0021, effective January 6, 2019, and has been adjusted further in subsequent circulars as PhilHealth periodically revises its benefit packages. Since this figure changes over time, confirming the exact current amount through your hospital’s PhilHealth desk or PhilHealth’s official circular list beats relying on an older published number.

This amount covers the full bundle of services listed above, including supplies and professional fees tied to administering them. If your total newborn-related charges exceed the package amount, particularly at a private hospital, the difference becomes an out-of-pocket cost the same way it would with any other case rate.
To better understand how PhilHealth determines fixed benefit amounts for different medical services, read PhilHealth Case Rates Explained guide.

Who Qualifies and What Are the Requirements

Every newborn delivered at a PhilHealth-accredited facility qualifies automatically, as long as the mother is an active member or a properly declared dependent. The baby is issued a unique PhilHealth Identification Number upon registration or claims processing, establishing their own record in the system.

The main document families need to provide is the newborn’s birth certificate, submitted as a photocopy without the registry number for the initial claim, since the registered copy usually isn’t available yet at filing time. If the mother’s PhilHealth Benefit Eligibility Form (PBEF) already confirms active membership, Claim Form 1 usually isn’t required separately for the newborn.

If you’re unsure whether your membership status qualifies your newborn for coverage, see our PhilHealth Requirements by Member Type guide for a complete breakdown.

How the Claim Is Filed (and Why It’s Separate From the Mother’s)

The newborn’s claim doesn’t need to be attached to the mother’s delivery claim, and NCP claims are exempt from submitting a Statement of Account, unlike most other PhilHealth benefits. This separation exists because the baby is treated as their own patient with a distinct diagnosis and care record, even though delivery and newborn care happen during the same stay.

For most parents, this is handled entirely by the hospital’s PhilHealth desk, which files both claims using the appropriate codes without requiring separate paperwork from you. If the baby is later admitted for a related condition, such as newborn sepsis or congenital pneumonia, the Newborn Care Package can sometimes still apply as a second case rate.

The 24-Hour Rule and Newborn Screening Timeline

To qualify, the baby generally needs to remain in the facility for at least 24 hours after birth, except when immediate referral to a higher-level facility is medically necessary. Newborn screening is ideally performed after 24 hours of life but no later than three days from delivery for standard compensation.
Premature or sick newborns placed in intensive care are exempted from the strict three-day screening window, though they should still be tested within seven days of age. Official receipts for newborn screening need to fall within this same period, even if dated after discharge, so keeping that receipt rather than assuming it’s automatically filed is worth doing.

Common Mistakes That Delay a Newborn Claim

Assuming the newborn’s claim is automatically bundled with the mother’s. While both are processed by the same facility, they’re technically separate, and this sometimes leads families to expect information the hospital hasn’t provided yet.
Missing the newborn screening timing window. Waiting past three days for standard cases, or seven days for premature or sick newborns, can affect whether the screening claim is compensated.
Not keeping the newborn screening receipt. Since this receipt needs to match the required testing period, losing it can complicate an otherwise straightforward claim.
Assuming the package amount is fixed indefinitely. Since PhilHealth periodically updates the NCP rate, older published figures can understate what’s currently available.

Troubleshooting

If the hospital’s PhilHealth desk flags an issue with the newborn’s claim, ask specifically whether it involves the birth certificate documentation, the newborn screening timing, or the mother’s underlying eligibility, since these are the most common causes.

If the mother’s own status is the issue, resolving her membership or contribution gap typically clears the newborn’s claim too, since the baby’s coverage depends on it. For unresolved cases, PhilHealth’s Corporate Action Center can look into the specific claim, referencing the newborn’s PIN once issued.

Tips for a Smooth Claim

Confirm the mother’s PhilHealth membership and contributions are current well before the due date, since the newborn’s coverage depends entirely on this. Keep the newborn screening receipt and any hearing test documentation in a safe place, since these support the claim’s compensability within the required window.

Ask the hospital’s PhilHealth desk directly about the current package amount, rather than relying on a figure from an older article. If the baby needs extended care beyond the standard 24-hour stay due to a medical referral, ask how this affects the package specifically, since exceptions apply for necessary transfers.

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s PhilHealth’s benefit covering a newborn’s essential care immediately after birth, including vaccinations, screening tests, and preventive interventions, filed as a separate claim from the mother’s delivery benefit. It applies automatically at any PhilHealth-accredited facility that performs deliveries.

The package was raised from ₱1,750 to ₱2,950 under Circular 2018-0021, effective January 2019, and has been adjusted further in later circulars. Confirming the current exact amount with your hospital’s PhilHealth desk is more reliable than an older published figure.

It covers Essential Newborn Care, Vitamin K, eye prophylaxis, BCG and Hepatitis B vaccination, newborn screening, and a newborn hearing test. These are bundled together as one case rate rather than billed individually.

The claim is technically separate from the mother’s, but the hospital’s PhilHealth desk typically handles both without requiring extra paperwork from parents. The main document you’ll usually need to provide is the newborn’s birth certificate.

Generally at least 24 hours after birth, except when the baby requires immediate referral to a higher-level facility for medical reasons. This requirement exists to ensure complete newborn care is actually provided before the claim is filed.

Ideally after 24 hours of life but no later than three days from delivery for standard cases. Premature or sick newborns in intensive care are exempted from the three-day rule but should be tested within seven days of age.

It’s available at any PhilHealth-accredited facility that performs deliveries and provides newborn care, including hospitals, infirmaries, and birthing homes or lying-in clinics. Confirming your chosen facility’s accreditation status before delivery avoids issues at claim time.

Dayon

I’m Dayon, and I run PhilHealthPH.com. I got tired of confusing, outdated instructions every time I had to deal with PhilHealth online, so I started writing the guides I wished existed — clear, current, and focused on actually getting the task done. Everything here is checked against PhilHealth’s official site and updated whenever their process changes.

PhilHealth
Newborn Care
Package 2026

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