Health & Wellness Best Posts in Thread: Philhealth for an expat?

No, you do not even have to be married, or evening living with a Filipina.

You do have too have one quarter of payments to receive reimburse, or some silly rule like that . The best I can figure out is this is how it seems to work. When you go in you pay for sign up you pay for a quarter (3 months) even if you enlisting during the middle of the quarter: You "pay back" meaning if you sign up in mid-december you pay the Oct. Nov. Dec quarter. Sounds bad until you realize that is your first quarter towards getting qualified for reimbursement. So if you sign up before the end of the year, you will pay for the last quarter of the year, but your reimbursement coverage will start as of January 1. Remember the amount is only 600 P per quarter about $12 US for three months, less than the old newspaper use to cost for delivery. So if you think you have a preexisting condition get Phil Heath before the end of this current quarter. There is a Phil Health office above the Daro Mercury Drug, which may be able to help clarification if you can not make it to the mall.

My primary reason for getting Phil Health because I was told (rumor) that I would not be refused entry to a hospital if I had a Phil Health membership card. Last thing I want to be doing is rounding up payment of cash/credit card for entry for emergency hospital services. I would rather die after acceptance into a hospital than dying on the steps because I did not have emergency funds accessible on the spot. On second thought maybe staying home will be safest route back to health.

 

https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/downloads/pcb/MOP_PCB_Providers.pdf

I completely understand that people are upset by a change like this. I wonder if this isn't a bit of wealth redistribution resulting from free coverage now offered to the poorest people. A bit of taxing the rich expat is you will. In addition, it could be that their model is unsustainable and that a change was necessary. In my experience, great deals don't stay around forever as they are usually unsustainable. This seemed like a pretty good deal.

The piece of cost that I think is important to look at this is the infrastructure needed to support the system as this is the majority of the cost. Yes people (doctors, nurses, hospital works) are cheaper in the Philippines, but that's no where near the majority of the cost. Are MRI machines cheaper there, are buildings cheaper there, are x-ray machines cheaper? How much cheaper are they? I assume that GE charges about the same for an MRI machine regardless of where you buy it. An an example, the physician fees (surgeon, anesthesiologist) for my wife's appendectomy were about $4000 USD. The facility costs were about $65000. I don't think the infrastructure is 15 to 20 times cheaper there, at least not based on my housing experiences.

 

It is bewildering that we have to pay that much for partial hospital coverage. The good news/bad news is that if you have a catastrophic medical problem (like a stroke) it pays for itself in a single event. So for me I have to pay for it.
The younger healthier guys here have a harder decision if the don't have home medical coverage.

 

I do not understand either mate, when I left Oz my Medicare was cancelled, I was told that was what I had to do, but speaking with a few other Aussies here, I have been told they return to gain medical treatment and medication on concession. I assumed I was doing the right thing following protocol but was told I shouldn't have cancelled my Medicare cover (Govt. subsidised Healthcare) Like anything, people will find a way around the process if it holds benefits for them...

 

Don't know how he managed that Brian. 4 years out of the country then got free house and health.

 

From what I understand only existing Accounts will be Honoured the emphasis was on Permanent residence so really the way to go is 13a or other permanent visa type Coming on a BB shows you are in and out of the country and to my mind this is what they are saying. People come and take advantage of a cheap Insurance meant for Filipinos' and their family yet choose not to live here. As I have said before it is a Minefield of their making but what's new