If you’re a government employee, your Medical Allowance can help you get HMO coverage, but if you want to pay a full year’s premium you can use G-HEALTH (Ginhawa Health Assistance Loan)—a new program from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) that lets members finance their HMO premiums through a zero-interest loan, payable over 12 months, instead of paying it all upfront. The program was formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement between GSIS and Maxicare Healthcare Corporation, marking the first of several planned partnerships with accredited Health Insurance Providers to help members maximize the Medical Allowance granted under Executive Orders Nos. 64 and 95.
It is the newest addition to GSIS’s Ginhawa program lineup, designed to protect the financial security and overall welfare of government workers and their families. After all, a lump-sum premium payment for HMOs isn’t just inconvenient — for many government workers, it’s the reason HMO coverage gets skipped altogether, even when the allowance is technically enough to cover it. With the impending G-HEALTH rollout, you can get the coverage, and your cash flow doesn’t have to take a single hard hit.
What G-HEALTH Offers
Here’s what the program brings:
- Zero-interest financing on HMO premiums, spread across 12 monthly installments
- Direct access to accredited health insurance packages through the GSIS Touch mobile application, where members can browse and compare plans before enrolling
- GSIS pays the provider directly once a plan is selected, then converts the premium into the interest-free loan on the member’s behalf
- The option to enroll qualified dependents under the same chosen health plan
- A growing list of Health Insurance Providers, with more MOA signings already in the works beyond Maxicare, so members will eventually have a wider range of plans to choose from
- A clear division of responsibility: GSIS handles the financing and administration, while the HMO provider (like Maxicare) handles the actual medical services, claims processing, and benefit management
Is It Available Right Now?
G-HEALTH has been formally launched, with the GSIS-Maxicare agreement signed and sealed as its first partnership. The initial rollout is expected to benefit around 214,000 regular GSIS members. That said, GSIS has described the framework as one that will roll out with additional providers still being finalized, so the full menu of plan options is still expanding. Members are encouraged to keep checking the GSIS Touch app and official GSIS channels for updates on when their specific agency or membership category can enroll, and which providers are available in their area.
Who’s Behind It
GSIS made it clear that its role in G-HEALTH is strictly administrative and financial — it acts as the financing intermediary, not the healthcare provider. That responsibility sits with the participating HMOs, starting with Maxicare, who remain in charge of delivering medical services and processing claims.
Where to Get More Information
For questions about enrollment, eligibility, or how to access G-HEALTH through the GSIS Touch app, members can reach out through the following official channels:
- Website: www.gsis.gov.ph
- GSIS Contact Center: (02) 8847-4747 (Metro Manila), 1-800-8-847-4747 (Globe/TM), or 1-800-10-847-4747 (Smart/Sun/TNT)
- Email: gsiscares@gsis.gov.ph
- Mobile app: GSIS Touch, available on Google Play and the App Store