Medicare In The Phillipines

[Okieboy]

Medicare for emergency care, i read an interesting thing today, In the case of residents of Guam and Saipan they are alowed to seek medical treatment outside of the US Territories on emergency cases, availing of their Medicare benefits in Phillipine medical facilities,due to the proximity of the Phillipines vis-a-vis Hawai,the nearest US state. This arrangement was made possible thru the unwavering creativity and determination of Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D Guam ) the Ambassador Willy C Gaa is working on the portabilty of Medicare so that those who depend on Medicare can take advantage of what the residents of Guam and Saipan already enjoy, it also would lower the cost of Medicare program.

[United Army]

So does this mean a person living in the PH can use the emergency room and get paid by Medicare??

[Okieboy]

So does this mean a person living in the PH can use the emergency room and get paid by Medicare??

no i think not at the present unless you have a residence in Guam or Saipan, but i did read in another article that the current Health Care Bill has a provision for off shore payments, we will see as time goes on, would be great of this comes about

[Art2ro]

http://bonginvirgini...ability-to.htmlFIL-AM GROUP: MEDICARE PORTABILITY TO CUT COSTS, HELP STAVE OFF BANKRUPTCYAs the White House and Capitol Hill struggle to find ways to tame the budget deficit, Filipino groups here and in the Philippines see an opportunity to push an initiative that will allow overseas Americans to receive medical care in Philippine hospitals.This is tied to the larger debate of Medicare entitlement reforms and ideally offering medical portability for an estimated 6 million Americans living abroad – about 250,000 of them in the Philippines.“If President Obama wants to save Medicare and Medicaid from bankruptcy, the portability of US health insurance benefits should be part of the debate,” Nora Van Horssen said in a 2007 paper.Studies, some dating back to 2004, predict Medicare could become insolvent in 8 years. “We are in the grassroots organizing stage,” said Eric Lachica.He revealed they are talking with other interested groups, including the Philippine Nurses Association in the US and Association of American Residents Overseas, among others, to make medical portability one of the hot-button issues in April when the nation marks Overseas Americans Week.Lachica said they want President Obama to issue an executive order to authorize a feasibility study for implementing a Medicare portability program.“We need the buy-in of the administration and some key members of Congress for this to really push forward,” he explained.Medicare provides health insurance coverage to US citizens 65 or older, and others with certain medical conditions (e.g., patients with end-stage renal disease). The program covers hospital and medical costs, drug prescriptions and health plans by Medicare-accredited private insurance companies.2011 will be critical for Medicare because it will be the first time expenses will equal income. When it was created in 1965, Medicare was predicted to cost $26 billion in 2003 – the actual cost reached $245 billion.Total Medicare pay-outs reached $462 billion in 2008 and $484 billion in 2009.Congress is debating various proposals for entitlement reforms to stave off a Medicare bankruptcy without dragging the American economy down with it. Lachica believes that medical portability is both timely and beneficial to all stakeholders – from the government to the individual Medicare beneficiaries. He pointed to a 2005 study which showed that Medicare spent an average $7,000 per beneficiary who received medical services in the US.But the study, Lachica added, showed that average payment dropped to about $3,000 when beneficiaries received medical services in Mexico and other countries.Philippine hospitals already have a toehold on this program – Medicare already allows US citizens in Guam to be treated in Philippine hospitals because they are nearer than those in the North American mainland. And obviously, the cost of medical care is much cheaper in the Philippines.The Medical City hospital system in Manila has already treated over a thousand US Medicare beneficiaries under the Medicare Advantage Plan, Lachica revealed,The Philippine medical tourism sector has emerged as a $350 million enterprise, bolstering the country’s position to meet the future needs of American patients.Lachica declared that the US can potentially save billions of dollars by embracing Medicare portability.It will also redound to the benefit of hundreds of thousands of Filipino-Americans entering their twilight years who wish to retire in the Philippines. They can continue to enjoy their medical benefits even while they live in the Philippines if Medicare portability is carried to fruition.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(THIS PART OF THE QUOTE I GOT FROM ANOTHER FORUM VIA GOOGLE SEARCH)Residents of selected zip codes in Southern California are now eligible to obtain Medicare coverage under the MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN while they reside in the PHILIPPINES! So, if you have a Medicare Advantage Plan and live in Southern California 6 months out of the year, call your agent for further details. Note that this plan is aimed towards "snowbirds" and that you must reside in USA at least 6 months and 1 day per year to be considered eligible.Services are 100% Medicare approved and you can even pick a PCP in Manila ! Services are available only at Medical City Medical Center in Manila. Edited March 22, 2011 by Art2ro

[Art2ro]

Just to revise and add a few more notes:THIS QUOTE I FOUND FROM ANOTHER FORUM VIA GOOGLE SEARCH, WHICH I REWORDED A LITTLE BIT: http://www.google.co...770469246f6e773 Residents of selected zip codes in Southern California are now eligible to obtain Medicare coverage under the MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN while they reside in the PHILIPPINES! So, if you have a Medicare Advantage Plan and live in Southern California 6 months out of the year, you're considered eligible! Call your region agent for further details. Note that this plan is aimed towards "snowbirds" and that you must reside in USA at least 6 months and 1 day per year to be considered eligible. Services are 100% Medicare approved and you can even pick a PCP in Manila ! Services are available only at Medical City Medical Center in Manila. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In this blog, Medical City was mentioned in accepting Medicare in the Philippines! http://bonginvirgini...ability-to.html FIL-AM GROUP: MEDICARE PORTABILITY TO CUT COSTS, HELP STAVE OFF BANKRUPTCY What they don't tell you is only emergency care is covered. In other words you cannot be treated for conditions that are chronic. If you are injured, have a stroke, heart attack, flu etc. you might be covered. For those on Tricare if they opt to use a Medicare Advantage Plan, they lose their Tricare benefit while on it.

Edited March 23, 2011 by Art2ro

[Call me bubba]

So does this mean a person living in the PH can use the emergency room and get paid by Medicare??

NO not at all,Medicare generally does not cover health care while you are outside the United States. Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands are considered part of the United States.In rare cases, however, Medicare may pay for inpatient hospital services provided in Canada or Mexico if:

• You live in the United States and a foreign hospital is closer or easier to get to from your home than the nearest United States hospital that can provide the care you need; or
• You are in the United States when you have a medical emergency and a foreign hospital is closer or easier to get to than the nearest United States hospital that can treat your emergency; orMedicare generally does not cover health care while you are outside the United States. Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands are considered part of the United States.In rare cases, however, Medicare may pay for inpatient hospital services provided in Canada or Mexico if:
  • You live in the United States and a foreign hospital is closer or easier to get to from your home than the nearest United States hospital that can provide the care you need; or
  • You are in the United States when you have a medical emergency and a foreign hospital is closer or easier to get to than the nearest United States hospital that can treat your emergency;

[JJReyes]

The exception is made for Guam and Saipan residents for certain medical procedures because the Philippines is closer than Hawaii. In the past, for unavailable medical procedures, the only option was 10+ hours flight to Honolulu. Now residents can take the 3+ hours to Manila from Agana, Guam. The rule may change once they complete the construction of a full service, first class hospital. (No need to fly to the Philippines.)Because Medicare A is available to all Americans age 65 and older who paid-in to the system through payroll deductions, those who reside in the Philippines can eventually get on a plane to Guam for surgery. it is still a co-payment system. The medical care recipient is responsible to pay for approximately 20% of the cost.

Edited March 14, 2012 by JJR

[Jollygoodfellow]

Just a bit of a side note to our Aussie counterparts, the views in some of the above posts relate to Americans even though our Australian system uses the same title of "MEDICARE". I have no idea where our medicare system stands as to overseas country's like the Philippines.

[i am bob]

As for Canadians, our Provincial Health Plans only cover us for a short time - ie: vacations... (too lazy right now to look up the number of days) Some of us with private health plans (ie:PSHCP carried over to retirement for ex-government employees such as miltary, CRA, etc) can sometimes bring them with us at a higher cost. If you are coming from Canada, I suggest bringing your own private insurance (long-term enrolled or buy especially for) or save up extra cash (or a good Visa card) in case something should happen... And don't forget to inform your long-term private insurance company how long you are coming for and pay the appropriate rates - they may not cover you if you don't!

[Jack Peterson]

:) I would be Interested in Any Information, with regard to UK legislation on this subject. Up till next may (2013) I am covered on Work/Travel insurances. Although I have Phil Health and Capitas here, All the others will cease on Full Retirement. Any One?Something, I have not really given a lot of thought to.Jack P.