# Phil Health Worth it or Not?



## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

An offshoot from the SRRV worth it or not thread.

How about Phil Health,

Cost is 15K for SRRV and 17K for others.

Benefits as I understand it some restrictions on initial coverage. 

https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/news/2017/expands_coverage.html 


Anyone actually used the coverage, how was your experience?

I have a major coverage with an international firm but a high deductible A($US15k plus a 30% co pay fr4o the first insured but a $US2million top limit. I was thinking of Phil Health to cover the deductible and copay amounts.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

My Asawa is a Senior citizen and therefore has PhilHealth as a freebie and I, being older than she is, am covered (freebie as well) as her Dependent. When she has been hospitalized (she has some heart troubles and requires frequent hospitalization), PhilHealth seems to cover about 70 - 90 percent of her bill(have never figured out how they calculate). About 3 or 4 years ago, I got dehydrated and had to be hospitalized for 4 days. PhilHealth picked up about half of my bill. I really have no info or thoughts on the Premium structure.

Just my experience with them. Since our Premium is zero, to me it is very worthwhile. I am 13A(Permanent Resident) Visa status but at the time I went to the Hospital I was Balikbayan status.

In the US, I am covered with Medicare, the VA, and IHS(Indian Health Service) so if anything major happens to me, I may have to do some serious considering.

Fred


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## Manitoba (Jun 25, 2014)

Any idea what the hospitalization costs were?

My only experience is seeing a doctor and costs have been minimal, visit plus medication (pills plus ointment and medicated soap) for a rash was 2k, straight consultation was 300p.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Good call Manitoba and here's some information I couldn't transfer it but important links for Phil Health.

https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/news/2017/expands_coverage.html

Phil Health Circular 2017-003 https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/circulars/2017/circ2017-0003.pdf

Information posted by Pagbati: True, although I would add another bullet point as follows:
SRRV members who joined Philhealth prior to 01 July 2017 are still entitled to pay the old annual premium rate of 2,400.


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## Tim_L (Jul 14, 2018)

M.C.A. said:


> Good call Manitoba and here's some information I couldn't transfer it but important links for Phil Health.
> 
> https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/news/2017/expands_coverage.html
> 
> ...


I got a 404 on both of your links above. Guessing the ... Isn’t part of the actual url.  Thanks Tim I fixed both links.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Manitoba said:


> Any idea what the hospitalization costs were?
> 
> My only experience is seeing a doctor and costs have been minimal, visit plus medication (pills plus ointment and medicated soap) for a rash was 2k, straight consultation was 300p.


Don't remember exact figures, for her last hospitalization I think I paid a bit over P17000 = Approx $350, but don't recall the total bill but should have been well over twice that amount. Near as I can remember, when I was in, my share was around P21000 = Approx $400, which was about half the total bill. Can't beat that for 4 days of hospital care. For normal office visits - consultations, we just pay the P300 to P450 fee plus buying the prescription.

Fred


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## Zep (Jun 8, 2017)

fmartin_gila said:


> Don't remember exact figures, for her last hospitalization I think I paid a bit over P17000 = Approx $350, but don't recall the total bill but should have been well over twice that amount. Near as I can remember, when I was in, my share was around P21000 = Approx $400, which was about half the total bill. Can't beat that for 4 days of hospital care. For normal office visits - consultations, we just pay the P300 to P450 fee plus buying the prescription.
> 
> Fred


I am guessing those prices are in manila? I have paid for a lot of hospital care out here in the provinces for numerous relatives and it is probably 1000p per day for hospital room care and about 2000p per day for intensive care. You could probably have a heart transplant for 150,000p.


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## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

fmartin_gila said:


> My Asawa is a Senior citizen and therefore has PhilHealth as a freebie and I, being older than she is, am covered (freebie as well) as her Dependent. When she has been hospitalized (she has some heart troubles and requires frequent hospitalization), PhilHealth seems to cover about 70 - 90 percent of her bill(have never figured out how they calculate). About 3 or 4 years ago, I got dehydrated and had to be hospitalized for 4 days. PhilHealth picked up about half of my bill. I really have no info or thoughts on the Premium structure.
> 
> Just my experience with them. Since our Premium is zero, to me it is very worthwhile. I am 13A(Permanent Resident) Visa status but at the time I went to the Hospital I was Balikbayan status.
> 
> ...


Very informative Fred. You answered one of the questions I was going to ask, ie can I avail PhilHealth on BB status.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Tim, Those are from different Hospitals in Iloilo City on Panay Island.

David, We can avail the services as a dependent of our spouse.

Fred


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## Tim_L (Jul 14, 2018)

Tim_L said:


> I got a 404 on both of your links above. Guessing the ... Isn’t part of the actual url.  Thanks Tim I fixed both links.


Excellent, thank you. Reading them now.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

fmartin_gila said:


> Tim, Those are from different Hospitals in Iloilo City on Panay Island.
> 
> David, We can avail the services as a dependent of our spouse.
> 
> Fred


Under the new system a foreigner can no longer be a dependent and must have their own account. As to worth it or not. Probably still better than nothing.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Gary D said:


> Under the new system a foreigner can no longer be a dependent and must have their own account. As to worth it or not. Probably still better than nothing.


Guess that is something I had better check, maybe I've been deleted and don't know about it yet. 

Just something to think about. As a general rule from what I have seen of the medical system here, it seems to me that total costs of medical care here is in the same range as the co-pay amount one would pay for medical care if you were covered with insurance and obtained care in the US. 

Fred


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## Tiz (Jan 23, 2016)

I recently had some health issues while in Australia on holiday.
Nothing urgent so I decided to wait until I returned to PH.
In Aus I'm unable to use the universal health care, Medicare, which would have cost nothing.
As it turns out, the quoted Aus charges were pretty much the same as what I was charged here at St Luke's in BGC.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Tiz said:


> I recently had some health issues while in Australia on holiday.
> Nothing urgent so I decided to wait until I returned to PH.
> In Aus I'm unable to use the universal health care, Medicare, which would have cost nothing.
> As it turns out, the quoted Aus charges were pretty much the same as what I was charged here at St Luke's in BGC.


Tiz, hope you're feeling better. 

I'm thinking about getting the Phil Health also. Even the Dental care here is extremely reasonable.


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## lefties43332 (Oct 21, 2012)

I thought healthcare was so cheap there I always just paid cash. I even paid for my sons delivery and c -section delivery. my cancer test"s etc.


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## DonAndAbby (Jan 7, 2013)

Gary D said:


> Under the new system a foreigner can no longer be a dependent and must have their own account. As to worth it or not. Probably still better than nothing.


I'm a dependant on my wife's account. No problems using Philhealth last June and they paid 21,300 of the hospital bill and 26,000 of my doctor's fees.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Maybe we are 'Grandfathered in". I'll try to go to their office in the near future to get clarification on this issue. I quickly went through the previously posted links, but to my thoughts this issue was not addressed.

Fred


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## DonAndAbby (Jan 7, 2013)

fmartin_gila said:


> Maybe we are 'Grandfathered in". I'll try to go to their office in the near future to get clarification on this issue. I quickly went through the previously posted links, but to my thoughts this issue was not addressed.
> 
> Fred


I was very worried about the new rules when they were first announced. I still had Philhealth as my own account at that time.

It was after the new law was in play that my wife added me to her account. Maybe I got lucky.


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## DonAndAbby (Jan 7, 2013)

lefties43332 said:


> I thought healthcare was so cheap there I always just paid cash. I even paid for my sons delivery and c -section delivery. my cancer test"s etc.


Yes, generally speaking, it is cheap. However, every little bit helps. I think Philhealth paid 16k of my wifes first c-section bill. Can't remember the total. 60k maybe. And then, as mentioned in my other post, they saved me almost 50k on my shoulder surgery.

One good thing about Philhealth is that they review the charges and won't allow over charging. I think. So even if they don't cover much, they might save you money in other ways.


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## isabellamor (Jan 23, 2020)

Members pay 3600php yearly, I guess it is somehow worth it. My mother-in-law has been confined for one day last month and from 17000php hospital bill, we only paid 13000php.


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## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

I'm a bit confused as to what PhilHealth will actually pay out. From what I've read they will pay case rates, which are listed as follows, and it doesn't seem like they will pay much at all, or am I missing something?

https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/circulars/2017/annexes/0019/AnnexA-MedicalCaseRates.pdf


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