# Healthcare policies?



## SierraMadreMe (Mar 26, 2015)

Wife and I are considering a return to the PI after 5 years in the states.

Is anyone aware of any healthcare policies available for coverage in the PI? I'm getting older and starting to experience some health decline. I was/am considering maintaining my policy from the states,but would potentially have to evacuate in the event of a major health problem which would present it's own set of problems.Living in LaUnion means at least a trip to Manila if any major medical was necessary.

Anyone?


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## AppalachianBiker (10 mo ago)

Watching


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

Do you mean access or financial/insurance?

Access can be a problem depending of where you live, but smaller cities than Manila and Cebu seem to have rather good medical capacity. The public hospitals are overvelmed but there are private hospitals in smaller cities too. 
(E g a private hospital in a smaller city managed to save the life of a toddler boy, who were close to die by some illness with high fever and it clugged the bowels totaly direct after the stomach sack so the body couldnt even take up any fluid so he became dehydrated and they had to suck up what he had in the stomach sack by it became blown up, extreemly hard. I dont know the timeline when that normaly tiny boy blow up so he became blown up as an obiesed person but by fluid after they have started giving him fluid direct to the blood, so I dont know if it was by mess up by the public hospital they went to first. or the private hospital or if they didnt mess up it was just the illness. But finaly the private hospital managed to save his life (with a bit assistance from me by I paid the part of urgent needed medicin they didnt manage to borrow to after they had sold all as refrigirator) and now the toddler boy is back to being as toddlere boys are normal 

PhilHealth is a low cost health insurance, which pay only some illnesses, but can be useful in contacts with hospitals both to be accepted in emergenies when not carrying money enough, and to reduce risk to be overcharged.
There are other health insurances which cost much more and cover more. (I havent searched any much, but I havent found any as I want = No max and ok fee by having HIGH self risk amount. . Some have max payout as low as 100 000 pesos. Such I prefer to not have at all, being my own "insurance company" then...)

LOCK UP! IF you accept "private room" - which some hospitals have ridicilous definition of even countimg LOW screens sideways and no screen at all towards where people pass!!! - then the hospital have right to keep the person - and even a dead body - as *hostage* until the bill is fully paid even when its overcharged!!!
But if not private room, then the hospital dont have that right (although some hospitals try to hold hostage anyway.)


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Pacific Cross seems to be a popular health insurance provider. Of course currently you are required to have health insurance to enter the Philippines if you are a foreigner.


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## SierraMadreMe (Mar 26, 2015)

Lunkan said:


> Do you mean access or financial/insurance?
> 
> Access can be a problem depending of where you live, but smaller cities than Manila and Cebu seem to have rather good medical capacity. The public hospitals are overvelmed but there are private hospitals in smaller cities too.
> (E g a private hospital in a smaller city managed to save the life of a toddler boy, who were close to die by some illness with high fever and it clugged the bowels totaly direct after the stomach sack so the body couldnt even take up any fluid so he became dehydrated and they had to suck up what he had in the stomach sack by it became blown up, extreemly hard. I dont know the timeline when that normaly tiny boy blow up so he became blown up as an obiesed person but by fluid after they have started giving him fluid direct to the blood, so I dont know if it was by mess up by the public hospital they went to first. or the private hospital or if they didnt mess up it was just the illness. But finaly the private hospital managed to save his life (with a bit assistance from me by I paid the part of urgent needed medicin they didnt manage to borrow to after they had sold all as refrigirator) and now the toddler boy is back to being as toddlere boys are normal
> ...


I lived in the PI for 10 yrs from 2007-2017. Wife has PhilHealth (and still pays her premiums) and I had coverage as her dependent.No private hospitals where we live,and 2 acquaintances of mine both died from infection after having had surgery at one of the 2 good hospitals there. As a result,I don't think I would willingly opt to have surgery locally. As I understand it,I still have coverage via the wife's PhilHealth membership,but I do remember hearing that PhilHealth no longer offers major medical for foreigners.


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## SierraMadreMe (Mar 26, 2015)

Gary D said:


> Pacific Cross seems to be a popular health insurance provider. Of course currently you are required to have health insurance to enter the Philippines if you are a foreigner.


 I have and will continue to keep health coverage from the US in case of emergency.My premiums are quite low (for now). I know it can be used when abroad,but I imagine I would have to pay and then get reimbursed.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

SierraMadreMe said:


> I lived in the PI for 10 yrs from 2007-2017. Wife has PhilHealth (and still pays her premiums) and I had coverage as her dependent.No private hospitals where we live,and 2 acquaintances of mine both died from infection after having had surgery at one of the 2 good hospitals there. As a result,I don't think I would willingly opt to have surgery locally. As I understand it,I still have coverage via the wife's PhilHealth membership,but I do remember hearing that PhilHealth no longer offers major medical for foreigners.


If you were grandfathered in on your wife's Philhealth when it changed a few years back you may be ok. Now foreigners must have their own policy , 17k per year and yes no more z-packs.


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## yakc130 (Apr 27, 2012)

There are some companies that offer a type of "traveler's insurance" policy. It's a separate medical policy that you can purchase so that if you have medical issues outside of the US, they will medivac you to a hospital in the US for treatment. 

I'm not sure how much it costs, or w hat it covers, but it's something to look into.


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## AppalachianBiker (10 mo ago)

I bought mine through my AAA agency. It was relatively inexpensive. $89 cost and coverage well above the required level.


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## art1946 (Nov 30, 2017)

Does anybody know if a person that has the VA healthcare card is exempt from buying a separate health policy to enter the Philippines? My card expires in 2027.

Art


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

art1946 said:


> Does anybody know if a person that has the VA healthcare card is exempt from buying a separate health policy to enter the Philippines? My card expires in 2027.
> 
> Art


Does your card cover Covid or just service connected.


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

art1946 said:


> Does anybody know if a person that has the VA healthcare card is exempt from buying a separate health policy to enter the Philippines? My card expires in 2027.
> 
> Art


VA Manila

VA Manila US Embassy

NEW VA MANILA REGIONAL OFFICE AND OUTPATIENT TELEPHONE NUMBERS


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## art1946 (Nov 30, 2017)

hey gary,

It covers covid in the USA. I am not service connected with an injury or illness but in the USA I am fully covered. I do pay some co-pays but not much only for medicine. I got my VA health card many years ago and when they changed the rules of eligibility, they had to grandfather me into the new system. In the old system I had to pay co-pay to see the doctor or specialist. Now I don't.

Art


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