PhilHealth rate increase for foreigners

[OnMyWay]

10 minutes ago, AlwaysRt said:

The problem with waiting comes in with the cost/benefit.

1)don't wait, pay now. 3 years @p2,400 = p7,200   outcome a)you are covered at p2,400/yr until Jan 2020   outcome b)you have made a downpayment of p2,400/year and need to pay another 15,000/yr to keep the coverage   outcome c)you made a down payment and ain't gonna pay an extra 15,000/yr and lost p7,200

2)wait and see what happens   outcome a)decide if you want to pay p17,000/yr, if not you have no downpayment to lose   outcome b)the coverage you could have gotten for p7,200 is now p51,000 and lost p43,800 in savings.

so on the down side, p7,200 downpayment vs p43,800 in savings

of course they can decide to do anything they want, however, once paid you are in a contract for coverage - a contract they have to break without cause to hit you with a higher premium. This is the Philippines but the law still is a "thing".

If you pre-pay at current rates and you end up having to top that up to the new rates, you need to consider the hassle involved in doing that.  I can't recall if you are talking about prepaying your wife's policy with you as a dependent (that is my scenario) but if that is the case, you also then have the hassle of splitting out you as a separate policy.  The prepaid money will be for her, not for your separate policy.

From what I have read, I think the chances of pre-paying at current rates and not having to top it up later are very slim.

I don't think you enough weight to "is Philhealth worth 17,000 per year"?  I think the money is better spent on private insurance.  Philhealth was a great bargain at 500-600 pesos per quarter.  p17,000 per year is a no go for me.

My wife and kids will all still have Philhealth, but I am thinking about getting them private as well, with high deductible, for the worst scenarios.  Even with Philhealth, a bad illness or accident could impact my life savings a lot.  Same for me.  I will get a high deductible emergency policy and self insure for smaller stuff.  If you look at the Pacific Cross plans, you can save a lot by taking a high deductible.

I'm not pushing Pacific Cross and I hope some others can post the names of other private insurance they are happy with.

[virginprune]

3 hours ago, sonjack2847 said:

I have just seen this and thought I would post it here.JPs wife is going to inquire later so he may have some more to add.

My wife just spoke to Phil Health in regards to this July 1st increase. They told us that ALL foreigners will be required to have their OWN policy as we already know. Now, I hate to be a kill joy but....
Philhealth said "yes" you can prepay up to 3yrs for a total of 7200 Php but as of July 1st the amount will automatically go up and that prepaid amount will be deducted from the 15 or 17k Php amount, if you have your own policy.
If you are on your wife's policy you will no longer be covered unless you get your own policy and the money you prepaid will pay for her policy for 3 yrs without you as a dependent . There is no exemption of paying the 15 or 17 Php by prepaying the 3 yrs. Come July first you must have the policy in your own name at the full rate in order for you to be covered. 
I sure hope I'm wrong but this is also coming from Philhealth. All I can say is let us wait and see come July 1st to prove it either way.

That's exactly what they told me and showed me the relevant directive pertaining to this. I believe they have also added more caveats regarding what a foreigner can claim, such as certain diseases/treatments. This info is available from your local office. That is why I have decided not to renew, as I stated in an earlier post.

[sonjack2847]

2 hours ago, mogo51 said:

They are moving the same way here in Thailand regarding health insurance.

Kev, is 'On my way' brochure, the same company you were referring to?  That price is quite reasonable for private health cover, by today's standards.

Yes Ron it is.If I remember correctly you can choose your own hospital as long as it is endorsed by them.The last time I had it, 6 years ago, it covered all three of us for about 480 UK per year

[Tukaram (Tim)]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

... Philhealth said "yes" you can prepay up to 3yrs for a total of 7200 Php but as of July 1st the amount will automatically go up and that prepaid amount will be deducted from the 15 or 17k Php amount, if you have your own policy.

I don't think you enough weight to "is Philhealth worth 17,000 per year"?  I think the money is better spent on private insurance.  Philhealth was a great bargain at 500-600 pesos per quarter.  p17,000 per year is a no go for me...

 

That is my thoughts too.  PhilHealth was never a great service, but at p2,400 a year... anything you got from it made it worthwhile.  Now with the higher rate and lower coverage it simply does not seem worthwhile to me.  I can't justify p17,000 and still need private insurance - I will just pay the private insurance and be done with it. 

If the rate increase does not happen, I will stay on my wife's plan... I don't feel it is a good risk to pay 3 years in advance and hope I don't have to "top off" the payment to use it. 

[AlwaysRt]

Just back from talking to Philhealth at Duma Mall, my intention was to pay for 2018 & 2019. She said I can HOWEVER, I have to go to the main office as Philhealth does not take payments at the mall and their payment partners can accept current year (2017) payments only. This is the Philippines so there has to be a twist, she said since I am already paid on my account through 2017 (unlike everyone else? I am the primary and my wife is on my account), to avail of early payment you must pay 2 1/2 years premium, meaning I would be covered until July 2020.

I did not ask for clarity about that, nor tried for info about the current change as I feel the top doesn't know what they are going to do so how could the girl at the mall know.

2 hours ago, Tukaram (Tim) said:

I don't feel it is a good risk to pay 3 years in advance and hope I don't have to "top off" the payment to use it

It seems I am definitely against the grain on this one, Sounds like most expats are going with 'this is the Philippines so rich foreigners are gonna get screwed - the glass half empty' theory, where I am going with 'I have legally paid for and entered a contract for a service so they can't come back and renegotiate - the glass is half full' theory. I fully realize and accept I could be 100% wrong but gonna stick with hopeful thinking.

There has to be changes to the current plan as it obviously was not thought through. Take for example 'hypothetical me', married to a Filipina 12 years ago when I was 50. We have paid premiums on my wife's account under which I was covered, now 62 I am a Lifetime Member (paid in over 120 months and over 60). Now the temporary boss at Philhealth decides to make the foreigners pay and sends out the current circular. So now, since I cannot be covered under my wife's membership, I lose all coverage, have to become a member on my own and pay for another 120 months??? Kinda crazy even for the Phils.

[mogo51]

21 hours ago, sonjack2847 said:

Yes Ron it is.If I remember correctly you can choose your own hospital as long as it is endorsed by them.The last time I had it, 6 years ago, it covered all three of us for about 480 UK per year

When I checked out the brochure that Don posted, the cost for me at age 66, is well over $2000US and there is a $1000us excess.

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, mogo51 said:

When I checked out the brochure that Don posted, the cost for me at age 66, is well over $2000US and there is a $1000us excess.

Ron, are you looking at the Blue Royal Premier plan?  That is a worldwide dollar plan that is more designed for worldwide coverage.  Probably more suitable for someone who travels a lot  to high cost medical countries like the U.S. You are allowed up to $300 a day for a room, etc. etc.

Look at the peso plans.

[robert k]

10 hours ago, mogo51 said:

When I checked out the brochure that Don posted, the cost for me at age 66, is well over $2000US and there is a $1000us excess.

Ron, lets not be hasty! That $3k USD would get you a suite of rooms in a very good hospital with aircon, electric, water, presumably hot and cold, maid service, cable and internet, 3 meals a day, doctors and nurses on call, probably a gym. Many Filipinos facing prosecution just move into hospitals. I don't know where else you could get all that for $3k USD a year? I had considered signing up for the plan and moving in myself!

[mogo51]

Hi Robert, yes it does sound like a good idea but I am not there yet.  Still mobile and a little savvy.  I found the other plan 'On my way' (Don) was referring to. I can get quite a  good cover for $1100AU which is pretty good. I will wait till the dust settles and see what actually is invoked after 1/8.  We will be a little settled by then and I can spend some time analysing it all.

I was pyaing $1200AU six year ago in Oz, it would be more like $1500 plus now with the annual rises they give themselves.  My excess for hospitalisation there was $500au.

[bang4dabuck]

Tomorrow is June 30. I have a friend checking the issue at the downtown Cebu PhilHealth office. We'll see but I'm skeptical. 

Otherwise if anybody knows of a cheaper plan than the Pacific Cross and I love high deductibles but it must cover pre existing conditions since I have TYPE II and kidney issues or so my blood work suggests. I guess something for worst case scenario. Maybe even at 18,000 a yr PhilHealth maybe the best option for the money. 

If Pacific, how far does $250K go here in the Phils ? I know it doesn't go very far in the US. I visit there about 10 weeks a yr and recently decided I better have some coverage, a little over $5 a day with a high deductible ($10k I think) and 1 mil coverage including pre existing conditions.