New in October 2026: YAKAP works with your HMO. PhilHealth signed a Memorandum of Understanding with HMOs and private health insurers for the PhilHealth YAKAP – HMO/PHI Benefit Complementation initiative (Department of Finance, 1 October 2026). YAKAP pays first for primary care, and your HMO or insurer acts as a secondary payer for costs above PhilHealth's limits or outside primary care, such as specialized procedures, branded medicines and room upgrades. Partners named include Maxicare, MediCard, Intellicare (Asalus), PhilhealthCare, Pacific Cross, iCare (Insular Health Care) and Manulife. Have an HMO? You still need to register for YAKAP yourself.
Want to change clinics? The yearly transfer window for members who've had their first check-up is October to December, and the change takes effect on 1 January. How to transfer.
What YAKAP covers
PhilHealth calls YAKAP "the expanded and improved Konsulta". Once you're registered with a YAKAP clinic, it covers:
| Benefit | What you get | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Primary care check-up | Free check-up and health assessment by the primary care doctor at your YAKAP clinic, plus follow-up check-ups as your doctor decides | Registration with the clinic |
| Selected laboratory tests | Done at the clinic or at its partner laboratory (list below) | Your YAKAP doctor's request |
| Cancer screening tests | Mammogram, breast ultrasound, low-dose chest CT, alpha fetoprotein, liver ultrasound, and stool tests or colonoscopy for colorectal cancer | A referral from your YAKAP doctor |
| Free medicines (PhilHealth GAMOT) | Medicines from the GAMOT List of 75 molecules, from accredited GAMOT pharmacies | A prescription from your YAKAP doctor through the GAMOT App |
Labs, screening tests and medicines are given based on your needs and your doctor's recommendation. You can't walk straight into a pharmacy or screening facility for the free benefit.
Who can use YAKAP
PhilHealth says YAKAP is "for every Filipino": members and dependents, young or old. You need a PhilHealth Identification Number (PIN) and updated membership. No PIN yet? See PhilHealth registration, or find your PhilHealth number if you've lost it.
Register your dependents too. Each dependent registers with a YAKAP clinic of their own, either the same clinic as you or one nearer to them, to get the benefits. PhilHealth also says dependents should be listed on your Member Data Record (MDR) for hassle-free benefits.
Senior citizens and YAKAP
YAKAP isn't age-limited: PhilHealth's FAQ says it is "para sa bawat Pilipino", for every Filipino. For senior citizens that means:
- You're already a PhilHealth member. The PhilHealth Member Registration Form lists senior citizen as its own member type, and parents aged 60 or above who aren't members can be listed as a child's qualified dependents.
- Register the same way as everyone else: pick a YAKAP clinic and register through the eGovPH app, the Member Portal, a PhilHealth office or the clinic (steps below). Family members can help, but the senior goes to the clinic for the First Patient Encounter.
- Medicines: free up to ₱20,000 a year for each beneficiary, from the GAMOT list, with a prescription from your YAKAP doctor. Maintenance medicines can be prescribed for up to three months and are released a month at a time (details).
- Lab tests and cancer screening: free when your YAKAP doctor requests them. At a public YAKAP clinic you pay nothing; a private one may charge at most ₱900 a year.
- Cancer treatment such as chemotherapy is not a YAKAP benefit. YAKAP covers cancer screening tests, not treatment, and medicines used while confined or in emergency care are not part of GAMOT. Ask PhilHealth's Action Center at (02) 866-225-88 about the benefit packages for treatment.
Workers: time off to register and see your YAKAP doctor
DOLE's Labor Advisory No. 10, series of 2026 asks private-sector employers to help their workers register for YAKAP. It covers all private-sector employers and workers, including those in the informal economy. Under the advisory, employers are:
- Encouraged to arrange onsite registration with PhilHealth at the workplace.
- Enjoined to help workers register, including online through the eGov app and the PhilHealth Member Portal.
- Encouraged to help workers get their first consultation with an accredited YAKAP provider.
- Strongly encouraged to give reasonable time off or an excused absence to employees registering at a PhilHealth office or going to a YAKAP clinic for their First Patient Encounter and consultation, subject to company policies and practices.
If you need time off: tell your employer ahead of time whenever you can; the advisory asks employees to give prior notice. It is an encouragement to employers, not a new leave entitlement, so check your company's policy. DOLE regional offices also promote YAKAP registration during labor inspections and in programs such as TUPAD and DILP.
How to register and use YAKAP
Check your PIN
Make sure you have a PhilHealth Identification Number and your membership is updated.
Choose a YAKAP clinic
and register through the eGovPH app, the PhilHealth Member Portal, any PhilHealth office, or at the YAKAP clinic itself.
Go for your First Patient Encounter (FPE)
medical history, health screening and health education at your clinic.
Sign the YAKAP Empanelment Slip
agreeing that the clinic will continue to look after your health.
Keep going back for check-ups
Your doctor prescribes medicines, refers you for lab or cancer screening tests when needed, and sets your follow-up check-ups.
Where's the list of YAKAP clinics? PhilHealth says to check the eGovPH app or the PhilHealth website, or ask at a PhilHealth office. Private and public clinics are both accredited, and the price rules differ (see below).
How much you pay
PhilHealth Advisory 2026-0003 (signed 8 January 2026) sets out your rights:
| YAKAP clinic | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Public clinic | Nothing. Covered consultations, basic lab services and other included primary care must be free. |
| Private clinic | A co-payment of at most ₱900 per member per year. After you reach ₱900, the rest of your covered, needed YAKAP services that year must be free. |
Cancer screening tests: no charge at the accredited screening facility once you have your YAKAP doctor's referral. PhilHealth's package covers the supplies, equipment and the reader's professional fee.
Medicines: free up to ₱20,000 a year for each beneficiary. Each dependent has a separate ₱20,000 limit. You only pay once you go over the limit.
You should not be denied care. Once you've completed your FPE and signed your Empanelment Slip, your clinic must give you continuous primary care. If you're asked to pay for covered services or turned away, report it to PhilHealth: call (02) 866-225-88 (24/7), text 0917-127-5987, or email yakaptugon@philhealth.gov.ph.
Selected laboratory tests
From PhilHealth's YAKAP page. Your doctor decides which ones you need based on your risk, age and health assessment:
- Complete blood count (CBC) with platelet count
- Lipid profile
- Fasting blood sugar (FBS)
- Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), not for ages 0–17
- Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
- Creatinine
- Chest X-ray
- Sputum microscopy
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Urinalysis
- Pap smear, recommended for ages 30–65
- Fecalysis
- Fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
- Upper abdomen and pelvic ultrasound
If your YAKAP clinic doesn't do a test, it will send you to its partner laboratory for free.
Cancer screening tests
Each test needs a referral from your YAKAP doctor. PhilHealth's YAKAP page recommends screening for these groups:
| Cancer | Test | Recommended for (no symptoms) |
|---|---|---|
| Breast | Mammogram, breast ultrasound | Ages 50–69 at average risk; 40–49 with a risk factor; 30–49 at high risk. Anyone of any age with symptoms. |
| Colorectal | Fecal immunochemical test (FIT), FOBT, colonoscopy | Ages 45–75; younger or older only with a risk factor. Colonoscopy needs a positive FIT or FOBT first. |
| Liver | Alpha fetoprotein (AFP), liver ultrasound | People with cirrhosis or a family history of liver cancer at any age; women 50+ and men 40+ with chronic hepatitis B or C |
| Lung | Low-dose chest CT scan | Ages 50–80 with a risk factor (heavy smoking history, or a family history of lung cancer) |
First time getting screened? The FAQ allows a referral from a private doctor for your first cancer screening, but you must then be referred to your YAKAP clinic.
Getting your free medicines (GAMOT)
- Your YAKAP doctor prescribes through the GAMOT App. Only the doctor at the YAKAP clinic where you're registered can prescribe.
- Go to any accredited GAMOT pharmacy. Accredited pharmacies have a sign outside.
- Show your prescription or give its UPSC code, with any government-issued ID.
- Sign the GAMOT Availment Slip. It shows your remaining balance of the ₱20,000 limit.
- Maintenance medicines: your doctor can prescribe up to three months, but the pharmacy releases one month at a time. Go back when you're running low.
- Branded medicines are covered only up to the price PhilHealth sets, unless the pharmacy gives it to you at that price.
- Medicines used while confined or in emergency care are not part of GAMOT.
- Someone collecting for you? They bring an authorization letter, your valid ID and their own valid ID.
Clinic not prescribing GAMOT yet? PhilHealth Advisory 2026-0018 (February 2026) says some YAKAP clinics were still completing their requirements. If you can't get GAMOT at your clinic, call (02) 866-225-88 or email actioncenter@philhealth.gov.ph.
One clinic, any accredited pharmacy
Where you can use each YAKAP benefit, from PhilHealth's YAKAP FAQ:
| Benefit | Where you get it |
|---|---|
| Check-ups and prescriptions | Only at the YAKAP clinic where you're registered. Only its doctor can prescribe your GAMOT medicines. |
| Laboratory tests | At your YAKAP clinic, or the partner laboratory it sends you to |
| Cancer screening tests | At any accredited cancer-screening facility, with your YAKAP doctor's referral |
| Free medicines | At any accredited GAMOT pharmacy. You can switch pharmacies, and if one pharmacy can't fill your whole prescription, you can get the rest from another accredited one, as long as you haven't used up your ₱20,000 |
So you can't take your YAKAP check-up to a different clinic or a hospital: to move to another clinic, you request a transfer (below).
Changing your YAKAP clinic
Under PhilHealth Advisory 2025-0065:
- Haven't had your FPE yet? You can transfer any time of the year, and it takes effect right away.
- Already had your FPE? You can request a transfer only from October to December. It takes effect on 1 January the following year.
To transfer, visit any PhilHealth Local Health Insurance Office (LHIO) for member verification and a liveness check. If that can't be done, bring one valid government ID and a filled-out PhilHealth Konsulta Registration Form (PKRF). Someone filing for you needs your authorization letter and the same proof of identity. You'll get an email confirming your new clinic.
Official sources
- PhilHealth YAKAP page: philhealth.gov.ph/yakap
- FAQs on PhilHealth YAKAP (as of 31 July 2025): PDF
- YAKAP circulars and advisories: philhealth.gov.ph/yakap/issuances
- PhilHealth Corporate Action Center: (02) 866-225-88 (24/7), actioncenter@philhealth.gov.ph
Frequently asked questions
What is PhilHealth YAKAP?
YAKAP (Yaman ng Kalusugan Program) is PhilHealth's primary care benefit, the expanded version of Konsulta. Registered members and dependents get free check-ups, selected lab tests, cancer screening tests and free medicines through the YAKAP clinic they choose.
How do I register for PhilHealth YAKAP?
With your PhilHealth PIN, choose a YAKAP clinic and register through the eGovPH app, the PhilHealth Member Portal, any PhilHealth office, or at the clinic. Then go to the clinic for your First Patient Encounter and sign the YAKAP Empanelment Slip.
Is PhilHealth YAKAP free?
At public YAKAP clinics, yes: you should not be charged. Private YAKAP clinics may charge a co-payment of at most ₱900 per member per year, according to PhilHealth Advisory 2026-0003. Medicines are free up to ₱20,000 a year for each beneficiary.
How much free medicine do I get under YAKAP?
Up to ₱20,000 worth of outpatient medicines a year for each beneficiary, from the GAMOT List of 75 molecules. Each dependent has a separate ₱20,000 limit. You need a prescription from your YAKAP doctor.
Can my dependents use YAKAP?
Yes. Each dependent registers with a YAKAP clinic, the same as yours or a different one closer to them. They should be listed on your Member Data Record.
Can I go straight to a pharmacy or lab for free YAKAP services?
No. Free medicines, lab tests and cancer screening tests need a prescription or referral from the doctor at your YAKAP clinic.
Can I change my YAKAP clinic?
Yes. If you haven't had your First Patient Encounter, you can transfer any time. If you have, you can only request a transfer from October to December, and it takes effect on 1 January. File it at any PhilHealth LHIO.
What if a YAKAP clinic asks me to pay or refuses to serve me?
Report it to PhilHealth's 24/7 Corporate Action Center: (02) 866-225-88, text 0917-127-5987, or email yakaptugon@philhealth.gov.ph.
I have an HMO. Do I still need YAKAP?
Yes. Under the YAKAP – HMO/PHI Benefit Complementation initiative signed in October 2026, YAKAP covers primary care first, and participating HMOs and private insurers pay for costs above PhilHealth's limits or outside primary care. Register for YAKAP through the eGovPH app, the PhilHealth Member Portal or a PhilHealth office.
Is PhilHealth YAKAP free for senior citizens?
Yes, on the same terms as everyone else. Senior citizens are PhilHealth members (the PMRF lists senior citizen as a member type) and can register with a YAKAP clinic. At a public YAKAP clinic covered services are free; a private clinic may charge at most ₱900 a year. Medicines are free up to ₱20,000 a year with a prescription from the YAKAP doctor.
Does YAKAP cover chemotherapy or cancer treatment?
No. YAKAP is PhilHealth's primary care benefit: it covers cancer screening tests with a referral from your YAKAP doctor, not cancer treatment. Medicines used while confined or in emergency care are also outside GAMOT. Ask PhilHealth's Action Center, (02) 866-225-88, about benefit packages for treatment.
Can I register with more than one YAKAP clinic?
You register with one YAKAP clinic of your choice, and only that clinic's doctor can prescribe your free medicines. To move to a different clinic, request a transfer: any time before your First Patient Encounter, or from October to December after it, taking effect on 1 January.
Can I use YAKAP at another clinic or hospital?
Not for check-ups: those are at the YAKAP clinic where you're registered. Lab tests can be done at its partner laboratory, cancer screening at any accredited screening facility with a referral, and medicines at any accredited GAMOT pharmacy.
Can I get my YAKAP medicines at a different pharmacy?
Yes, at any accredited GAMOT pharmacy, and you can switch pharmacies. If one pharmacy can't give you everything on your prescription, you can get the rest from another accredited pharmacy, as long as you're within your ₱20,000 yearly limit.
What is the difference between YAKAP and Konsulta?
PhilHealth describes YAKAP as the expanded and improved Konsulta. On top of check-ups and lab tests, it adds cancer screening tests and free medicines of up to ₱20,000 a year through PhilHealth GAMOT.
Can I take time off work to register for YAKAP?
DOLE Labor Advisory No. 10, s. 2026 strongly encourages employers to give reasonable time off or an excused absence for YAKAP registration at a PhilHealth office and for your first visit to a YAKAP clinic, subject to company policy. Give your employer notice ahead of time.
Keep reading
PhilHealth ID
Get your PIN, the paper ID or PVC card, and find a lost number.
Read guidePhilHealth registration
Requirements, the PMRF, online and walk-in registration.
Read guidePhilHealth contribution 2026
The 5% rate, the full table, payment deadlines and a calculator.
Read guideSources
- PhilHealth YAKAP: Yaman ng Kalusugan Program
- Frequently Asked Questions on PhilHealth YAKAP, as of 31 July 2025 (PDF)
- PhilHealth Advisory 2026-0003, Know Your Rights Under the YAKAP Primary Care Benefit (PDF)
- PhilHealth Advisory 2025-0065, YAKAP Clinic Transfer Guidelines (PDF)
- PhilHealth Advisory 2026-0018, Update on GAMOT Benefit Access (PDF)
- PhilHealth Circular 2026-0002, supplemental guidelines for PhilHealth GAMOT (PDF)
- PhilHealth YAKAP issuances
- Department of Finance: PhilHealth, private insurers build on YAKAP to maximize primary care coverage (1 October 2026)
- PhilHealth: qualified dependents
- DOLE Labor Advisory No. 10, s. 2026: Guidelines on Workers' Registration Under PhilHealth YAKAP (DOLE Bureau of Working Conditions, PDF)
- PhilHealth Member Portal
Last checked 26 October 2026. See how we research and the updates log.