Private Medical Insurance for Expats Living in the Philippines

Expats, currently living in the Philippines, have often stated that the nation is made up of kind loving people and it is known that Filipinos across the world are more caring for others. Without having doctors, nurses, midwives and care assistants, the world’s medical organisations would be unsuccessful.  There are 7,000 islands which make up the Philippines that have medical services, and these are highly variable with some areas strictly under-resourced and under-doctored. However, services for the poor are continually being improved and Health care expenditures have increased to more than P526 billion with more than half coming out of the pockets of Filipinos (philstar.com, 2016).

Health care for Residents in Philippines

The Philippines has over 100.7 million citizens and the government is required to extend its national health service to them, free at point of use. The Philippines Health Insurance Corporation, also known as PhilHealth, has about 86% of the population already enrolled. The scheme is government controlled and tax exempt and is funded by employers, employees and subsidies from the local and national government. All employees, regardless of what other insurance cover they may have or work for, must join PhilHealth and around 2.5% tax is taken from their income. In the Philippines, the poor are always enrolled in the system without payment, along with retirees, but this is only after a minimum of 10 years contributions. For anyone else who does not fit into these roles, they will have to pay a subscription through an individual payment programme.

Government funded care

PhilHealth is a universal system with heavy state support, the government funds only 35% of all health spending in the Philippines, which is lower than the US at 48%. In 2014 the actual proportion of costs spent on health care as a proportion of GDP is reported at 4.71% (Tradingeconomics.com, 2017).

In Manila and some other cities, hospitals are up to western standards with US trained personnel and equipment. “Medical practitioners in the Philippines are graduates from the most popular universities and most of them have studied in US medical schools”. This is advice for the policyholders from the international medical insurer, which have a strong base in the community. As well as this, there are also doctors who have studied in the US before sharing their expertise in the Philippines. Nursing schools with great standards also train Filipino nurses, it is a fact that a large percentage of Filipino nurses go to work in the US. New residents of the Philippines, who are in need of a dentist or doctor are advised to seek the opinions of other expats that have lived longer in the Philippines.

Philhealth Claim Repayments

Even though PhilHealth is meant to refund claims within 60 days, this deadline has not always been met. Claims are paid without delay to 75% of the total and under a recently introduced change, individual patients or any service providers such as hospitals, can make claims.

Insurance Premiums

The UK subsidiaries of US insurers have continued to give 15% starter discount on its plans, bringing the premium lower than usual. Any plans available are not always comparable, due to different benefits and the extent at which those benefits are capped. As well as this, low initial premiums have no guarantee of sustained value.

Main Health risks in Philippines

Malaria has always been a threat to all travellers, and mosquito-borne dengue is endemic in the Philippines. Unfortunately, both have no vaccinations available.  Another health risk is the infection of leptospirosis, which is also known as Weil’s disease and is transmitted in the urine of rats and other animals. This is a very dangerous condition however penicillin is very effective against the life form.