# Healthcare for U S Citizens



## Nannetteph (Aug 13, 2015)

My husband (an American) and I (dual citizen) are planning on living in the Philippines 9 months and 3 months in the U S. We're planning on keeping our insurance in the U S. However, what do we do insurance-wise when we're in the Philippines? My husband has some sort of liver issues which he has to have medication and I am Type 2 diabetic. We're planning on moving by year end. 

Thank you for your response.


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## pijoe (Jul 21, 2015)

My wife and I have used Cigna expat. health insurance. It is suited for your situation because you will be returning to the States after 9 months and most expat policies are term policies, and so by their nature not designed as permanent insurance vehicles. They typically work anywhere in the world but your home country. My wife and I pay about $300/month for good coverage. (for both of us.) As long as there is a lapse in coverage for a couple months you can renew for another term. I used another one that I liked better but I cant recall the name. If I can come up with it I will post again. After age 60 things get tricky, and expensive. Cheers.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

If you,with dual citizenship are over 60, you can avail yourself to the Senior Citizen Card. This will enable you to enroll and use PhilHealth at no cost and enroll your Husband as a dependent, also at no cost. That is how my Wife (Filipina) and I (American, on Balikbayan status) handle it here. PhilHealth does cover quite a bit of stuff and along with the Senior Citizen Discount does amount to quite a bit for her care, I do not receive the Senior Citizen Discount as I am not a Citizen of the Philippines. As an enrolled dependent, I can make use of the PhilHealth if I should ever have the need, as I understand it. So far I have not had the need so have not been able to test as to how well it works for me. It does work very well for my Wife as evidenced by a recent hospitalization of her for a High Blood Pressure Spike. The charges (including the Drs & Meds) was reduced to 1/3 of the original charges. She is 65 years & I am 76 Years old.

Fred


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## Nannetteph (Aug 13, 2015)

Thank you Fred. Your response makes me feel better. But, how does one get a Senior Citizen Card and how much does it cost? One thing I didn't mention, even though I have dual citizenship, I only carry a U S Passport. Do I need to also get a Philippine passport?


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

When we moved here last year, she just went to the Local Barangay Office and inquired, they directed her to and she went to the nearest Senior Citizen Office and they issued her a card(she did have to furnish the 1X1 pic to be put on the card) but there was no charge. I don't know about the Passport question as my Wife still uses her Philippine Passport. You will also have to go the local PhilHealth office and do the enrollment after you get the Senior Card. Make sure you always have a copy of your Marriage Certificate with you as it seems to be asked for frequently.

Fred


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## esv1226 (Mar 13, 2014)

Like you, I have dual citizenship, my husband is also American and we are both retirees. I will PM you - or please feel free to send me a message. Re Philhealth, you will be a member for life - without paying any premiums whatsoever. Your husband would be your dependent. Senior's card entitles you to 20% discount on restaurants. Many other discounts - it's fun. No, you do not need a Philippine passport. Where did you get married? Where will be your address?


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## Nannetteph (Aug 13, 2015)

Thank you. Good to know. My husband and I got married in Carmel, CA over 30 years ago. I don't have an address there yet coz I haven't figured out where to live yet. I've been far away from my relatives for so long that I think I'd like to stay in the same island. So, I'm thinking of possibly living in Laguna, tagaytay, Cavite, or quezon. I'd like to rent for a year first until I know where it suits me.


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## esv1226 (Mar 13, 2014)

From experience, with a copy of our marriage certificate we both get the one year Balikbayan (BB) stamp/stay. We have had no problems so far. We exit and enter the country together before the BB expires. 
But to apply for a permanent residence visa for your husband, immigration requires your marriage document authenticated by the Philippine Embassy. It is easier to get this done there than here. Dealing with immigration is quite challenging for many.
But if your marriage was reported to the Philippine Consulate, the NSO (Natl Statistics Office) would have a record - then you have no problems. 
I wish I had this information before coming home.


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

*Non-Quota 13a Visa*



Nannetteph said:


> Thank you Fred. Your response makes me feel better. But, how does one get a Senior Citizen Card and how much does it cost? One thing I didn't mention, even though I have dual citizenship, I only carry a U S Passport. Do I need to also get a Philippine passport?


The husband could get his Non-Quota 13a Visa completed stateside in as little as two months or less and worth the effort, if your not located near a Philippine Consulate that handles your state, you can do everything through the mail system stateside, I know this because that's how I got my Immigrant card. Here's some short cuts to help find the Philippine Consulate that handles your state and the second short cut is the paper work that I completed, it's for Chicago so it has Chicago headers but if browse through you'll also see some of the requirements.

Embassy of the Philippines - Consulate Finder Map

I don't know if this document is up to date but it's still loading from the Chicago Philippine Consulate, depending on where you live, it will dictate which Philippine Consulate will handle your state of Atlanta Georgia so it looks like you'll be dealing with Washington DC, I have some phone numbers and email contacts somewhere, I posted this too fast.

http://www.chicagopcg.com/forms/newimmigrantform.pdf

Okay here's the contact info for the Philippine Consulate in Washington DC, check with them because you'll have to use their forms with different headers, lol... unfortunately the 5 Philippine Consulates stateside aren't so standardized so the forms are similar but some are different.

http://www.philippinesusa.info/philippines-dc/contact-us-dc/

Nothing worse than retiring and then messing back and forth with Immigration in Manila, what a chore and nightmare if your missing forms best to get it done stateside.


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## Nannetteph (Aug 13, 2015)

Wow! Is this true that to apply for Visa, the fees as follows: $1,400 application fee, $360 annually, proof of $50,000 liquidity, etc. some ridiculous requirements.


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## esv1226 (Mar 13, 2014)

No, no. You are a Filipino. You and your husband have Balikbayan privileges. No fees whatsoever for one year. As a Filipino you are home. No further visa requirement for you.
For your husband, you can apply for a permanent resident's 13a visa. It is easier to transact business with the Philippine Embassy there than Bureau of Immigration here.


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## Nannetteph (Aug 13, 2015)

Thank God!!! Lol. I feel better now.


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

*Medical Issues And Beyond*



Nannetteph said:


> My husband (an American) and I (dual citizen) are planning on living in the Philippines 9 months and 3 months in the U S. We're planning on keeping our insurance in the U S. However, what do we do insurance-wise when we're in the Philippines? My husband has some sort of liver issues which he has to have medication and I am Type 2 diabetic. We're planning on moving by year end.
> 
> Thank you for your response.


 Jumping back to your first post on this thread. With or without existing medical issues; it is important that you both bring a complete set of your medical records (including any X-rays) with you.
Doctors here will not request records as is done there. So records are needed in the event of an emergency as well as saving $$$ on going through all the same things again here.

Use extreme caution and judgment on choosing a doctor here and if his/her advice sounds wrong don't waste time---find another doctor.

I'd suggest using The Filipino Doctor site to begin a search for doctors. The medical profession is far from what it is there at home. Don't take chances.



Regards

Jet Lag


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## Nannetteph (Aug 13, 2015)

Good to know. My cousin is the head counsel for one of the top hospital in Manila. With his help, I will hopefully find a good doctor. I really should make a checklist of what I need before the time comes. I have 4 months to get ready. This site is really helping me a lot.


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

*Philippine Consulate in US*



Nannetteph said:


> Wow! Is this true that to apply for Visa, the fees as follows: $1,400 application fee, $360 annually, proof of $50,000 liquidity, etc. some ridiculous requirements.


Tough to answer because your both returning US residents but if your husband is retired military he can apply for a special Military retired Visa. I think you are asking about the SRRV Visa here's a link and the deposits depend more on age and other factors.

PRA: Philippine Retirement Authority

Best to find out through the Philippine Consulate, pose your questions through them, especially since you are a returning resident or former Philippine Citizen. Hopefully someone else has more information but if not, always rely on your Philippine Consulate in Washington, DC for the most correct information.

Ridiculous requirements, go with that and not only in duplicate but sometime in triplicate, redundancy in filling out forms is also a norm. There's computers and modern software here but can you believe it they still use the typewriter in many offices and documents are ? stored somewhere, I'm not sure because I don't think they scan them, I went in for my 5 year card renewal and they had me go from floor to floor to get copies of my finger prints and things I performed previously and turned in with my Immigrant package in duplicate but they made another copy of my package when I got here so in triplicate, I thought everything was supposed to be stored on the Immigrant card, it has a computer chip but I guess I was wrong ... LOL.

So can you imagine the difficulty getting this accomplished here in Manila and don't forget the mail system issue once it's determined they need more documentation, or certified true documents, it can get expensive mailing stuff and traveling back and forth to Manila because traffic is a nightmare due to the many road projects.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

esv1226 said:


> No, no. You are a Filipino. You and your husband have Balikbayan privileges. No fees whatsoever for one year. As a Filipino you are home. No further visa requirement for you.
> For your husband, you can apply for a permanent resident's 13a visa. It is easier to transact business with the Philippine Embassy there than Bureau of Immigration here.


By all means, avail yourself and your Husband to the Balikbayan program, it is how we handle it. No cost, and the best is that you don't have to deal with the Immigration people at all nor do any of the other requirements placed by them. We are in our 2nd year doing this, and the only requirement is that you leave the country and reenter each year. No outbound flight required to reenter. Even if you do decide to go a different route, the time frame allows you more leeway to decide or to get things accomplished. 

Fred


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

fmartin_gila said:


> By all means, avail yourself and your Husband to the Balikbayan program, it is how we handle it. No cost, and the best is that you don't have to deal with the Immigration people at all nor do any of the other requirements placed by them. We are in our 2nd year doing this, and the only requirement is that you leave the country and reenter each year. No outbound flight required to reenter. Even if you do decide to go a different route, the time frame allows you more leeway to decide or to get things accomplished.
> 
> Fred


One additional note on this. When HE travels out of the country for this purpose, you BOTH must travel together so you are able to reenter the Philippines TOGETHER to get this benefit. If he reenters the country by himself, he will get only the tourist visa and must renew every two months for two years and then start over again.


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## ragbone13 (Jun 17, 2015)

mcalleyboy said:


> The husband could get his Non-Quota 13a Visa completed stateside in as little as two months or less and worth the effort, if your not located near a Philippine Consulate that handles your state, you can do everything through the mail system stateside, I know this because that's how I got my Immigrant card. Here's some short cuts to help find the Philippine Consulate that handles your state and the second short cut is the paper work that I completed, it's for Chicago so it has Chicago headers but if browse through you'll also see some of the requirements.
> 
> Embassy of the Philippines - Consulate Finder Map
> 
> ...


I'm curious. When I got my 13a visa in 2006 it took me 2 hours at the consulate in LA. Has this changed recently?


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

*2 hrs for a 13a?*



ragbone13 said:


> I'm curious. When I got my 13a visa in 2006 it took me 2 hours at the consulate in LA. Has this changed recently?


It took me nearly two months, I used the mail system to get mine out of the Chicago Philippine Consulate in 2007...LOL, heck I spent at least 30 minutes on the phone asking questions. 

So all your paperwork was in order and they prepared your package. I'm having trouble with this one but hey?


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## ragbone13 (Jun 17, 2015)

mcalleyboy said:


> It took me nearly two months, I used the mail system to get mine out of the Chicago Philippine Consulate in 2007...LOL, heck I spent at least 30 minutes on the phone asking questions.
> 
> So all your paperwork was in order and they prepared your package. I'm having trouble with this one but hey?


I did a lot of prep to make sure I had it right, and as I lived in greater LA at the time I was able to s how up at the window, the lady was able to verify that everytvhing was in order, and as I was going to wait, she said "give me two hours." I went out and got lunch, went to the window, and she handed me back my passport and the paperwork package.


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## ROUNDHEAD1952 (Aug 18, 2014)

*Phil Health Care*



Nannetteph said:


> My husband (an American) and I (dual citizen) are planning on living in the Philippines 9 months and 3 months in the U S. We're planning on keeping our insurance in the U S. However, what do we do insurance-wise when we're in the Philippines? My husband has some sort of liver issues which he has to have medication and I am Type 2 diabetic. We're planning on moving by year end.
> 
> Thank you for your response.


I cannot speak to your husband's liver issues, but I can tell you that I lived in this country for 8.5 years without any health insurance. I have dealt with an amoeba, a heart attack that was triggered by diabetes 2, a kidney stone and my asawa had a baby which cost us about $140. My meds for diabetes, hypertension, collesteral and blood thining run me about $50 monthly. I have only praise for the health care I have received here. Others will give you a less than favorable testimony about health care in Phil.


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## lkarlovsky (Jan 4, 2013)

ROUNDHEAD1952 said:


> I cannot speak to your husband's liver issues, but I can tell you that I lived in this country for 8.5 years without any health insurance. I have dealt with an amoeba, a heart attack that was triggered by diabetes 2, a kidney stone and my asawa had a baby which cost us about $140. My meds for diabetes, hypertension, collesteral and blood thining run me about $50 monthly. I have only praise for the health care I have received here. Others will give you a less than favorable testimony about health care in Phil.


Been here about 18 months. My US doctor of 20 plus years told me not to worry about insurance here. He had first hand knowledge as he owned a condo in Manila and spent time here often. He has been right. My six month check ups with my Cardiologist at a private hospital cost under $200 usd vs a couple thousand in the good old USA. I also have Phil Health which as can have as a foreigner if you pay about 2400 peso for the annual premium. Does not pay much but will speed your admission to the hospital if needed. All in all very happy with the quality and cost of medical care in Phil.


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## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

Well my 2 cents I had an emergency last year and was hospitalized for 10 days. All in All the cost 164,102.23 php. So in my humble opinion insurance is a nice to have thing. You may not need it for a while but when you do!. I am fortunate to have TRICARE for me and my wife. I have checked many Insurance companies and because of my age they won't even consider me. Now my wife and get insurance and I could get on hers but its expensive and there are too many if this then that scenarios


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

c_acton98 said:


> Well my 2 cents I had an emergency last year and was hospitalized for 10 days. All in All the cost 164,102.23 php. So in my humble opinion insurance is a nice to have thing.


Looking at the other side of this. 164,102.23 PHP is somewhat less than 4,000USD. This equates to approximately what one would pay for the co-pay in the states if you had insurance. Before we moved here, my Wife was Hospitalized in the states for 4 days and it cost me well over 15,000 USD plus Doctors charges in excess of 5,000USD as we had no insurance on her. She recently spent 2 days in the Hospital here for the same thing (High Blood Pressure Spike for no apparent reason) and the bill(including Dr's & Meds) was a bit over 7,000PHP - about 170USD. The PhilHealth & Senior Discount did cut to the 7,000 from about 20,000PHP. So even with no insurance, we are better off here, and since we are both well over 60, we do qualify to have PhilHealth. 

Fred


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Another thing to ensure prior to your departure from the states, has been mentioned in passing in one of the posts. I would encourage you to go to the Consulate there in LA(3600 Wilshire Blvd, as I remember) and get your Marriage Certificate registered with the Philippine Government. There is a fee and a couple hour wait, but that is a lot less hassle than waiting till you get here to do it.

Fred


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