Are Multiple Miscarriages in the Same Year Covered Separately by SSS?
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Are Multiple Miscarriages in the Same Year Covered Separately by SSS?
Miscarriage is already a heartbreaking experience, and for some women, it happens more than once in the same year. A question many SSS members ask is:
“Kung nagkaroon ako ng dalawang miscarriage sa iisang taon, may hiwalay bang maternity benefitⓘ bawat isa?”
This matters because maternity benefits can provide crucial financial help during recovery. Let’s clarify how SSS handles multiple miscarriages within the same year — and what you can do to maximize your benefits.
Understanding SSS Maternity Benefit Rules
One Maternity Benefit per Calendar Year Rule
Under SSS guidelines, only one maternity benefit claim is allowed per calendar year — regardless of whether it’s a live birth, stillbirth, or miscarriage.
This means:
If you have two miscarriages in the same year, you can only claim once.
Even if they happened months apart, the second miscarriage will not have a separate payout within that same year.
Why SSS Has This Rule
The maternity benefit is designed to support members during pregnancy-related work interruptions. The one-claim-per-year rule prevents overlapping claims and ensures benefit funds are distributed fairly among all members.
Example Scenarios
Scenario
Covered Separately?
Why
Miscarriage in March + miscarriage in November (same year)
❌ No
Only one maternity benefit allowed per year
Miscarriage in December 2024 + miscarriage in January 2025
Only one claim per year, regardless of pregnancy outcome
Common Misunderstandings
Thinking each pregnancy = separate claim → Not true. The limit is per year, not per pregnancy.
Believing different employers allow separate claims → Even if you switch jobs, SSS still counts total claims per year.
Confusing PhilHealth rules with SSS → PhilHealth may allow separate hospital coverage; SSS maternity benefits are different.
What You Can Do
1. File for the miscarriage with the higher potential benefit amount
If you had multiple pregnancies in a year, choose the one with higher Average Salary Creditⓘ (ADSC) is the average value used to compute daily SSS benefits, including sickness and maternity claims. It is derived from the six highest Monthly?" title="The Average Daily Salary Credit (ADSC) is the average value used to compute daily SSS benefits, including sickness and maternity claims. It is derived from the six highest Monthly?">Daily Salary Creditⓘ (ADSC).
If a miscarriage happens late in the year and you become pregnant again soon after, you might consider filing for the later pregnancy if it falls in the next calendar year (subject to eligibility).
3. Keep your contributions updated
The amount you get depends on your PRNⓘ or employer reports, SSS upd?" title="Contribution posting refers to the process of recording a member’s paid contributions into their My.SSS account. Once a payment is validated using PRN or employer reports, SSS upd?">posted contributionsⓘ before the semester of contingencyⓘ.
If Your Second Claim in the Same Year Gets Denied
Cause: Rule violation — already received maternity benefit that year.
Solution: Wait until the next calendar year to file a new claim.
What to Do: Maintain contributions and gather documentation for the next eligible claim.
Self-Help Options Before Visiting SSS
Review your contribution record in My.SSS.
Use the online maternity benefit calculator to estimate potential payouts.
Check your claim history to see if you’ve already filed that year.
TL;DR – Quick Summary
Only one SSS maternity benefit is allowed per calendar year — includes miscarriage, normal delivery, or stillbirth.
Multiple miscarriages in the same year are not covered separately.
Choose the claim with the higher benefit amount if you must decide.
Plan and time your claims to maximize coverage.
FAQs
1. Can I claim twice in one year if both pregnancies ended in miscarriage? No, only one maternity benefit per year is allowed.
2. Does it matter if I changed employers between pregnancies? No, the limit applies to you as an SSS member, not your employer.
3. What if my first claim was denied — can I file the second one in the same year? Yes, if the first claim wasn’t paid, you may file for the second, but still only once in that year.
4. Can I claim in December and again in January? Yes, because they are in different calendar years.
5. Does PhilHealth have the same one-claim-per-year rule? No, PhilHealth rules are different and based on hospitalization, not maternity claims.
