# Health Insurance in Philippines



## Bikerpat

Hi my friends,

I am hoping to retire to Phils. 

I am retired and am doing research into all the things I need to know re moving there.

One of the important issues for me is Health Insurance, as I will be a foreigner there. I have a g/f there but that won't make any difference.

Anybody already living there what did you do re Health Insurance to cover hospitalisation, etc.....?

Are there insurance companies in the Philippines that can offer a policy and are they reliable.

I know there is a government health insurance called PhilHealth or something like that but do foreigners qualify for this cover?

Thanks


Pat


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## Phil_expat

This question has been asked so many times already and answered:
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/philippines-expat-forum/57705-doctors-medicine-philippines.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/philippines-expat-forum/76293-health-ins.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/ph...371-medical-insurance-expats-philippines.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/philippines-expat-forum/132025-health-insurance.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/philippines-expat-forum/158608-insurance.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/ph...57343-philhealth-coverage-reimbursements.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/philippines-expat-forum/76293-health-ins.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/ph...371-medical-insurance-expats-philippines.html


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## Phil_expat

more:

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/philippines-expat-forum/76293-health-ins.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/ph...371-medical-insurance-expats-philippines.html


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## Bikerpat

Bem&Din said:


> Hello bikerpat, there are a number of health care providers here in the Philippines. But has requirements of acceptance based on your age. If you are retiring here in Cebu, I can refer you to some of these health care providers.



Again please send me on your email address as there are so may questions I need answers to. A lot of the folks on here are super with their advice but if you're in the business of retirement visas and medical health or in a position to advice then am very interested in chatting with you.

Pat


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## Codetrader

*Prescription Drugs Too*

I am in the same "boat" and am seeking info on how Expats who are now living in the Phils purchase affordable prescription drugs.

Would love to hear from anyone who is able to get drugs through USA SS medicare plans of any kind.

Thanks


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## joenasia

I'm not old enough for Medicare etc. and I find Cigna (BIG AND KNOWN) to be pretty good and my cost in ph is just 122 $ per month for 1500$ deductible with an 80/20 payout and a max 2k$ out of pocket after deductible. Plenty of direct providers and they say reimburse within 5 days. Not good if return to US ! Reason: INSANE COST OF SERVICE.


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## Codetrader

Do you know if they offer Drug coverage? Thanks Joe


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## joenasia

I really never inquired but I certainly will! I see so much less cost here than USA and just happy for it!!! I'll check with Cigna and post. Maybe not the cheapest but fairly comfortable with this mammoth company and their direct pay in ph is huge. Also are many options such as dental and optical but were very high to compare with health policy.


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## cvgtpc1

Had no idea companies like Cigna were in the PI. When you say direct pay do you mean you just show your card at the dr like in the US and its handled? Is this only at major hospitals in MNL or AC?


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## joenasia

I have a list of about 30 plus hospitals entered in this program. Fortunately so far I'm healthy and have not tried it out! I did some homework and comfortable with the idea but of course I am ready for plan "b" as like you and others I'm a guest in another country.


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## Bikerpat

Any news re that Cigna health insurance option, what they cover and how expensive are they and do they cover past age 65?


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## overmyer

Bikerpat said:


> Any news re that Cigna health insurance option, what they cover and how expensive are they and do they cover past age 65?


An example of low medical costs: I just had a blood draw at local private diagnostic clinic. Fasting Blood Sugar, SGPT (liver function), Creatin (kidney function) and lipid profile for total cost of P745. My cost in the states w/insurance co-pay $25. An office visit to top ranked Cardiologist P400 and top ranked Endocrinologist P200. Co-pays w/insurance in states $25 each. Very good dentist, cleaning P700, extraction P400 and fillings P700.


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## Bikerpat

Re Health Insurance.

I was thinking more about insurance cover in the event of hospitalisation for whatever reason.

This is my biggest fear re moving to Philippines. 

I have a beautiful g/f, am on a pension but am aged 60 and of course health insurance is high on my agenda.

I notice in a lot of insurance companies that any cover you can get only lasts to age 65.

What happens after that?

Anybody ever hear of Maxicare? 

Pat


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## billygoat

*Hospitalized in Cebu*



Bikerpat said:


> Re Health Insurance.
> 
> I was thinking more about insurance cover in the event of hospitalisation for whatever reason.
> 
> This is my biggest fear re moving to Philippines.
> 
> I have a beautiful g/f, am on a pension but am aged 60 and of course health insurance is high on my agenda.
> 
> I notice in a lot of insurance companies that any cover you can get only lasts to age 65.
> 
> What happens after that?
> 
> Anybody ever hear of Maxicare?
> 
> Pat



Hi Pat...fwiw, i was hospitalized in cebu this summer for 5 days. I don't have any health coverage, and my bill for the hospital (best hospital in cebu i am told), all the doctors, and the pharmacy came out around 50,000php...like everything else here for foreigners, this was a learning experience for me...my wife is pinay and she was right there with me all the time, thank goodness....i had a private "suite" which was comfortable and had a bed for my wife to stay, a small refrig., aircon, cable tv....i was in downtown cebu and honestly i had my wife bring me food for all my meals as the hospital food was not to my liking...at all...(she ate some stuff from the meals they brought)

i learned that if you get the medicine from the pharmacy yourself instead of just having your nurses get it, you save 16%....kinda weird at first having to send my wife downstairs with $$ to get the glucose for my IV, etc. for every Rx I needed, but as I was paying out of pocket that's what we did, and I saved quite a bit overall.

The whole experience was quite an experience. I noticed that Chong Hua hospital in cebu was around 30-40% more expensive than G Santos Hospital in Butuan City, Mindanao where I also had doctor visits, lab tests, Rx's etc in the recent past...
good luck...:tea:


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## JimnNila143

Since I am married to a Filipina, and she works, she has PhilHealth and I am the beneficiary. You can pay 3,200 pesos for a year and this covers up to 80% of hospital stay. Doctors and meds are extra cost. PhilHealth is worth the cost. If you don't want to pay a year in advance you can pay 800 pesos every 3 months.


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## AgentSugarCane

Since you are a foreigner, have you ever considered international personal medical insurance such as William Russell and A+ International? If you get international cover, you can go back and forth between Philippines and USA anytime. WR enrols people till sixty-something while A+ International enrols up to 70 years old. And the latter provides a cheaper range of plans for south east Asia. Worth checking out.


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## overmyer

Just read that BIR, is going to require Professionals (particularly Doctors) to publicly post their rates to prevent them from over charging clients and under reporting income! They are gling to do this because of complaints that some increase fees when asked for a receipt!


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## billygoat

overmyer said:


> Just read that BIR, is going to require Professionals (particularly Doctors) to publicly post their rates to prevent them from over charging clients and under reporting income! They are gling to do this because of complaints that some increase fees when asked for a receipt!


I experienced a little bit of what you are talking about recently.....I was at a hospital in Butuan City, and saw several doctors over the course of several weeks....there are notices posted all over the place from BIR saying you must be issued a receipt, etc....so i asked for a receipt and they hemmed and hawed and and it was awkward.... I said "never mind"....my wife then explained to me that they don't like to give receipts because then they would have to declare the income.....OK, I'll just go with the flow I guess :fingerscrossed:


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## Bikerpat

Anybody hear of MaxiCare Prime as an medical insurance company that covers past the age of 65?


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## JimnNila143

*Health Care and Travel*



AgentSugarCane said:


> Since you are a foreigner, have you ever considered international personal medical insurance such as William Russell and A+ International? If you get international cover, you can go back and forth between Philippines and USA anytime. WR enrols people till sixty-something while A+ International enrols up to 70 years old. And the latter provides a cheaper range of plans for south east Asia. Worth checking out.


I can understand your point but for me and my wife traveling back and forth between the Philippines and the USA, even to Guam, the cost of which is more than we can afford. Even trying to make Medicare work for me in Guam is too much. Medicare doesn't accept foreign medical expenses in any claim, even though I have paid out of my pocket for any and all medical expenses I have incurred in the last 6 years I have lived in the Philippines.


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## Bikerpat

Karen Lim said:


> Good day Pat! Most expats here in the philippines has Blue Cross. They cover up to 100 years old and they have a worldwide coverage. My friend is a manager for blue cross in the head office in makati. Contact her ************ if you haven't gotten any yet


Thanks Karen, will keep your contact in mind.


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## Karen Lim R.N.

Just a tip though, don't transact with an agent or a broker. They tend to misrepresent the details so easier for people to buy(so they get the commission). Next thing you know when you use your insurance, there will be limitations which they will not disclose to you. I highly suggest you go directly to blue cross so they can assist you better. Better yet send me a private message so my contact(manager from blue cross) will give you someone competent enough to communicate with an expat. Cheers!


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## vagabond54

One I have in force is: World Nomads Travel Insurance - Explore Your Boundaries[/url] 
It is only for injury or illness, but is very comprehensive. The price is reasonable.


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## vagabond54

FYI... It seems best to do a 6 month term, and is renewable until age 70. Cost for a 59 year old is less than USD$400 semi-annual. It is effective immediately after paying for policy, and stays in force as long as you are 100 miles from your USA residence address.


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## Karen Lim R.N.

That seems unreasonable for its price $400 just for 6 months? Thats already one year with blue cross with php750,000 coverage renewable till 100 years old.


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## vagabond54

No deductable. No co-payment with this insurance. Also, it is good in almost every country of the world. I had BC/BS in the USA. Great insurance. Worthless outside of the USA for anything other than a vacation. So I stopped carrying it. The cost for a greatly subsidized policy by my ex-employer was over USD$1200 per year! That also had additional co-pays and deductibles requiring more out of pocket expense.


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## Karen Lim R.N.

Well it should be good in every country of the world since its a travel insurance. And by the way, I'm referring to blue cross in the philippines. They have a peso plan which u can use here in PI or emergencies outside PI and dollar plan which is a complete freedom to seek treatment all over the world. No co-pays or deductibles as I know.. Bcuz i have a blue royale plan...


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## vagabond54

It is worth checking out, I suppose. But I live in various countries, since i have not decided exactly what country I am going to "call home." But since I have a PH girlfriend, the PH is looking very possible. Or maybe Thailand with her. 
Right now I am trying to find a reasonable priced Orthopedic Surgeon, who is good can fix my shoulder. I am living in Cebu City, so want one here. 
I have Googled, used the Filipino Doctor site with no satisfactory information. I thought maybe on this forum site I might find some people who have experience with doctors in Cebu City.


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## Asian Spirit

vagabond54 said:


> It is worth checking out, I suppose. But I live in various countries, since i have not decided exactly what country I am going to "call home." But since I have a PH girlfriend, the PH is looking very possible. Or maybe Thailand with her.
> Right now I am trying to find a reasonable priced Orthopedic Surgeon, who is good can fix my shoulder. I am living in Cebu City, so want one here.
> I have Googled, used the Filipino Doctor site with no satisfactory information. I thought maybe on this forum site I might find some people who have experience with doctors in Cebu City.


Vagabond,

Unless you are able to locate a number of people that can give a positive reference to any particular doctor, I would say-do not have it done here. You mentioned low cost. As with anything else, you will get exactly what you pay for and especially here. The Philippines is a lot of things to a lot of us that live here. But it is definitely NOT a place for medical tourism unless you are a risk taker with a death wish.
Your best option for such things would be first-Malaysia and followed by Singapore or even Thailand.
Surgical procedures are risky business anywhere; but having it done where there is literally no liability or law enforcement is only asking for bad results or worse..


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## vagabond54

*Jet lag*

WOW!

I did not realize medical was so poor in the Philippines. Especially a larger city like Cebu City. I am going to Thailand for a month, and was definitely considering having my shoulder "scoped" there. What I have is a fairly simple problem with my joint. Arthritis and probably a bone spur. I'll be in Phuket, Thailand and will see about surgery there. Thanks very much for your info and opinion. 
Since I am planning on making Cebu or Thailand my permanent home, finding good medical is important.


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## HondaGuy

Vagabond,

I had back surgery at Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok and couldnt have been happier. Its more like a 5 star hotel than a hospital. All the staff there spoke English and they took my Cigna International medical insurance, so I only had to pay 10% out of pocket. HIGHLY recommended!


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## HondaGuy

Oh, going back to the doctor's receipts, the doctors arent over-charging you per-se, its that they dont want to have to collect the VAT and report the income. One doctor I know charges us the same rate for their services, but if I need a receipt for my insurance, they have to collect (20%?) VAT for that. If I dont need a receipt, I just pay the regular service fee with no VAT.


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## vagabond54

Thanks for the info, HondaGuy! How much did you have to pay? I have to pay 100% out of pocket. I will be in Phuket for 30 days, so am interested in finding a good surgeon there.


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## Asian Spirit

HondaGuy said:


> Vagabond,
> 
> I had back surgery at Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok and couldnt have been happier. Its more like a 5 star hotel than a hospital. All the staff there spoke English and they took my Cigna International medical insurance, so I only had to pay 10% out of pocket. HIGHLY recommended!





vagabond54 said:


> WOW!
> 
> I did not realize medical was so poor in the Philippines. Especially a larger city like Cebu City. I am going to Thailand for a month, and was definitely considering having my shoulder "scoped" there. What I have is a fairly simple problem with my joint. Arthritis and probably a bone spur. I'll be in Phuket, Thailand and will see about surgery there. Thanks very much for your info and opinion.
> Since I am planning on making Cebu or Thailand my permanent home, finding good medical is important.


Here's a link to the Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok that Honda Guy posted about if ya want to take a look at their location and services.


Good Luck.


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## vagabond54

Thanks, HondaGuy


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## HondaGuy

vagabond54 said:


> Thanks for the info, HondaGuy! How much did you have to pay? I have to pay 100% out of pocket. I will be in Phuket for 30 days, so am interested in finding a good surgeon there.


For my particular back surgery, it would have been around 35k baht had I not had the Cigna International insurance. When I called Cigna before the surgery and told them I was having it at Bumrungrad, the rep told me "we deal with Bumrungrad all the time", so the Cigna reps at least were very familiar with them.

They were also not hesitant to give out the "good" medicine like oxycontin. Before my surgery I had a doctor at Medical City in Pasig look at my back and they didnt really want to give me any good pain killers. When they finally believed me that I was in real pain, the pharmacy girls treated it like they were handling plutonium. Locked up in a safe and two person integrity all the way until they gave me the pills.


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## lefties43332

HondaGuy said:


> For my particular back surgery, it would have been around 35k baht had I not had the Cigna International insurance. When I called Cigna before the surgery and told them I was having it at Bumrungrad, the rep told me "we deal with Bumrungrad all the time", so the Cigna reps at least were very familiar with them.
> 
> They were also not hesitant to give out the "good" medicine like oxycontin. Before my surgery I had a doctor at Medical City in Pasig look at my back and they didnt really want to give me any good pain killers. When they finally believed me that I was in real pain, the pharmacy girls treated it like they were handling plutonium. Locked up in a safe and two person integrity all the way until they gave me the pills.


Nothing wrong with that!!!


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## vagabond54

Thanks for that info, HondaGuy. I contacted Bumrungrad and am waiting on a cost estimate.


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## HondaGuy

Vagabond,

Good deal. For the more common procedures, Bumrungrad has a cost estimator to give you an idea on how much they cost:

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/realcost-thailand-surgery


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## vagabond54

Hi HondaGuy,
I received an estimate for shoulder/rotator cuff surgery. It ranged from 286,000 to 400,000 Baht. Triple the price a recommended orthopedic surgeon quoted me in Cebu, Philippines. I think I'll just have it done in the PH where I am living. Thanks for your info.


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## HondaGuy

Vagabond,

Cool, good luck with the surgery there!


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