Phil Health

[MikeB]

It's been said before but it bears repeating. PhilHealth will give you a discount on your bill. It is not comprehensive health insurance.

[mogo51]

thanks everyone, as I read it, I can join Phil Health after a qualifying period, end of 2nd extension?

I have been considering the Special Retirement plan but it does seem expensive and then there is $10k US 'bond' money.

I have read the alternatives and may go up that road initially.  Would I then qualify if I did go the Special Retirement Visa immediately?

[Guy F.]

 

 

You can join Phil Health on a tourist visa once you have got your ACR card, after your second extension. There are no questions about any existing ailments!

The benefits are that you can cut a certain amount of medical fees off your bill but only if you have been an inpatient for 24 hours. Bottom line is that it will save you money!

If your Filipina wife signs up for the family aren't you covered - or do you still have to wait till after the 2nd extension?

 

 

Married person here. The wife signed up this week and I am covered as a dependent, after having been in the PI less than 2 months.

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I hear some expats complaining that PhilHealth does not always cover a lot... but it only cost p2,400 a year.  So it seems to me if it saves you anything, it is worth having.  I am on my wife's policy now, but before we got married I had it as a tourist. Never used it yet... but co cheap you may as well get it.

[Huggybearman]

It's been said before but it bears repeating. PhilHealth will give you a discount on your bill. It is not comprehensive health insurance.

This is a very interesting topic to me as I currently 'self insure' so to speak. Does anyone know, is the discount afforded by Phil Health a fixed amount, either in percentage terms or cash discount off any medical bill? And can you buy varying levels of Phil Health contribution and do they exclude pre-existing conditions?

Ken

[robert k]

One of the most valuable things Philhealth does from what I heard is watch for the doctor padding the bill. When they save themselves money they are saving you money too. :thumbsup:

[MikeB]

This is a very interesting topic to me as I currently 'self insure' so to speak. Does anyone know, is the discount afforded by Phil Health a fixed amount, either in percentage terms or cash discount off any medical bill? And can you buy varying levels of Phil Health contribution and do they exclude pre-existing conditions?

The amount they pay varies depending on the procedure and it may vary depending on the hospital. I don't believe there are any exclusions for preexisting conditions. The "Billing Liason Officer" (love these titles) at Chong Hua Hospital told me the hospital negotiates these fees with PhilHealth. I only used it once for my wife's maternity stay because the insurance policy doesn't have maternity coverage. It was about an 11% discount. I understand the self-insure thing, I might have done it myself but with a young child no way I would chance the financial loss. So I pay the premium. 

[Huggybearman]

This is a very interesting topic to me as I currently 'self insure' so to speak. Does anyone know, is the discount afforded by Phil Health a fixed amount, either in percentage terms or cash discount off any medical bill? And can you buy varying levels of Phil Health contribution and do they exclude pre-existing conditions?

The amount they pay varies depending on the procedure and it may vary depending on the hospital. I don't believe there are any exclusions for preexisting conditions. The "Billing Liason Officer" (love these titles) at Chong Hua Hospital told me the hospital negotiates these fees with PhilHealth. I only used it once for my wife's maternity stay because the insurance policy doesn't have maternity coverage. It was about an 11% discount. I understand the self-insure thing, I might have done it myself but with a young child no way I would chance the financial loss. So I pay the premium.

Thanks, Mike. I think getting Phil Health might be a good interim measure, if only to get a bit of a discount should the need arise, and to have an independent oversight of the bill. I will investigate further.

Ken

[davewe]

I hear some expats complaining that PhilHealth does not always cover a lot... but it only cost p2,400 a year.  So it seems to me if it saves you anything, it is worth having.  I am on my wife's policy now, but before we got married I had it as a tourist. Never used it yet... but co cheap you may as well get it.

 

I think at that price $60/year (for the entire family) it's a steal and we intend to get it even before our move.

 

Whenever I hear a story of an expat who either: had trouble getting admitted to a hospital; had trouble getting released before the bill was paid; or just ended up with a bill he could not pay - and then said he had no insurance - I always wonder why he didn't at least get Phil health. It seems like a no brainer.

[jpbago]

Whenever I hear a story of an expat who either: had trouble getting admitted to a hospital; had trouble getting released before the bill was paid; or just ended up with a bill he could not pay - and then said he had no insurance - I always wonder why he didn't at least get Phil health. It seems like a no brainer.

 

   Same goes for a Filipino family. You look at what they spend their money on yet they have no insurance.