The best way to minimize health care problems and expenses is to eat a healthy diet and exercise. In 2022, I went KETO + One Meal A Day (OMAD) + walking 8 miles every other day. I lost 50 lbs., got off 7 medications with doctor’s guidance and have had the best blood test results ever. Two years 5 months later I’m still living this way.
Yea I'm not an expert on that topic, but a lot of homeless in America are drug addicts so that certainly doesn't help. The homeless I've seen here are often together still with family, trying to sell things and make some money
Don't be confident in anything you say that comes from "watching videos on TH-cam". Wait til you see a guy with mangled legs dragging himself along with a skateboard begging for money.
As a spouse of a Filipina I paid P16,800 (roughly $300.00) for one year of PhilHealth. I wanted a ticket in the door if I need a hospital. We've been pleasantly surprised with our local (Batangas) doctors. Our family doctor had previously practiced in Buffalo, NY. She's excellent as is our local dentist. We just pay cash for those appointments. Informative video, but I have one small quibble. Wear a NY KNICKS jersey! Informative video. Thanks.
I can't thank you enough! The main thing holding me back from retiring in the Philippines was medical coverage. I have preexisting conditions, two heart attacks in the past & I know I would never be able to afford coverage at 70 based on this. I have never heard about the medical coverage card that you can purchase for $100 for $1,000 coverage, including preexisting conditions! (I have watched hundreds if not thousands of videos on the Philippines & this is the first time I have heard anyone mention this! Are Expats there not aware of this???) I knew about PhilHealth & private insurance, like through Pacific Cross. Anyway, you have possibly made a huge difference in my life. Thank you so much!!
Hey, thank you! All I can say is maybe healthcare is kind of a niche topic, it's not something a lot of people know or care about until they need it. I know that it's important, so I wanted to do my best to cover as much info as I could in the video. I'm glad you found some helpful info in my video though and that it will help you with your move. Remember though , it's also best to have a savings on hand if you can afford to. God bless
@@TheNYCexpat thank you. Yes, I know it's important to have some extra savings for unexpected medical expenses on top of what other affordable ways I can find that would be helpful to cover some expenses I might incur. You give good advice for such a young man! BTW, you have a beautiful wife & baby. Blessings to you all.
@@TheNYCexpat yes, I think you have had to grow up fast & have endured many experiences that many your age have not (just my gut feeling as a Grammy - 😉). You should be proud!
I need to return and retire in CEBU City or Makati Manila being a military 🪖 veteran. Plus still keep my Medicare in case I need to go to America 🇺🇸 territory of Guam, thank you for this information about the Philippines 🇵🇭.
Congrats Mike on being monetized!! This video on healthcare is so important and you knocked it out of the park. These are the type of videos that us wanna bees are looking for, but most vlogger don't cover. Topics like: how to transfer money there (Wise, or Charles Schwab); whether to keep a US phone to get text codes from the bank to access accounts; how to buy and install a Philippines SIM card; how much cash to bring; how to look for apartments. These are all topics that most neglect to talk about because they don't get the views like the dating vids. Thanks for helping us!! You'll be at 10K subs before you know it.
Haha I got you and I just replied to your other comment too about the Maxicare cards. As far as the video goes, thank you for watching and the kind words bro. Those are some good ideas. Those are the type of topics that maybe aren't as sexy, but they're important like you said. I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate them into my channel, while putting my style on them. I will have some videos on budgeting and apartment searching here soon so will touch on those topics, but I'll also consider the other ones you mentioned too since those are good also
This is an OUTSTANDING video! Good info all around and no fluff or BS. LOVE IT! In the future, show us around some of the hospitals and medical care places as that's not really been done before. Good for a lot of views IMO. Something I would love to watch.
@@MickeyMishra thank you boss, appreciate it. Most hospitals have laws about recording so there are a lot of limitations, it's essentially impossible to do besides maybe some of the lobby, but hopefully this video will help people have a starting point
Guam 🇬🇺 is a US territory. Your Medicare will work there. The VA clinic in Manila will only see you for service connected issues. It's not a hospital it's a clinic.
Philhealth - can be thru employment or you can do voluntary payments. You have the optuon to pay quarterly/yearly. If im not mistaken, correct me if im wrong, the payment would be, for example it's already may, your payment would be for the previous 6mos. It's the fund for your acct, something like that. Monthly fee is 5% of your declared income. Coverage is roughly around 60-70% of your hospital bill.
Yea from what I've heard from some foreigners I spoke to theyre paying ₱17,000 annually to get on Philhealth, but for a local it would be based off of their income like you said. The coverage depends on the type of hospital in our experience. For public hospitals they will sometimes cover the entire bill, for private hospitals typically only like 20 percent though if that. The Philippines government actually is trying to pass a bill bringing it up to 50 percent coverage in private, but haven't heard anything about the bill going through, just being proposed
Thank you, I do my best haha. I know before I moved I was watching a lot of TH-cam videos trying to find information and guidance, so I'm just putting out the content that I was looking for
Great video, Mike! Been thinking about healthcare in the Philippines and was curious if the VA was in the country. Thanks for the info and the links. You rock!
Been living in the Philippines for 6 yrs with some small breaks in between. I'm 50 yrs old and I've been self insured which for a younger expat and for many is probably one's best bet. I would say Expat health insurance as a waste of money here. A Doctor's visit called a Consult can cost as little as $10. If you need to see a specialist and you live in one of the rural provinces or Islands just simply book a trip to one of the larger cities and stay in a hotel or AirBnB. I pay cash for everything here including Dental and Health Care. I'm a Veteran, the VA only covers Service Connected issues and Primary Care for some vets. It's not a full service hospital. For Disabled Vets they will send out your Medication at no cost.
What these Vloggers doesn't tell you is when you're 65 yrs old & above in which you really need insurance cuz as you aged, you'll have multiple medical issues but not too many sell insurance for 65 & above. If they do, it'll cost you triple with limited coverage. Also a friend was admitted at St. Luke in QC & was in ICU for 3 weeks, his total bill was $70K ( Close to 4 Million Pesos). A heart bypass cost $25K or 1.4 Million pesos. It depends on the situation. For simple problem, it's cheap.
I am up to date😀. Have listened to all the vlogs & watched ~1/2. All very good. This healthcare vlog provided some new info I wasn’t aware of (didn’t kno St Luke’s was Mayo affiliated!) & didn’t know about prepaid card thing; some info I did know. Good to kno my casual research has been fruitful. I most appreciated the tone overall, very reassuring & positive. I wasn’t worried in a deep sense, but as I listened to Mike I realized I was a bit more worried than I’d thought but I agree that it is best to let that go. Cash is 🤴, tailor an affordable not exorbitant system for individual needs, & be at peace.
Yea it's not all good, but it's not all bad either, like most things. There is good healthcare available, but almost all of it is pay up front, so you have to have insurance or cash and the insurances are sort of hit or miss
Well, in Cebu you can have both - Tourist Spots, Condos, Food, Private Hospitals with world class doctors, state-of-the-art facilities, AirAmbulance... Cash and CreditCards are always welcome.If you have AXA, much better.
All of those things are available in Manila too. The question is and the point of the video is, can you afford them or find a reliable insurance to cover them? That's the challenge for most people, local and expat alike
subscribed your topics are spot on bro very helpful channel very honest and legit, planning to move back ASAP from Canada.... but still investing as much as possible
@@FeydHarkon666 thank you man and I try. If you need anything or have any questions about The Philippines you can always leave a comment. Glad you're liking the videos
@@TheNYCexpat Yeah hope you enjoy your stay, just don't wondering off to the Moro region of Mindanao, even local Filipinos do not trust those buggers..
If have Aetna insurance in USA than have to get medical service as an emergency than you have to pay from pocket first than when you go back to USA send your all medical bills to Aetna they will reimburse all expenses after deduction according to our insurance
I had a heart attack in Dumagetti philipp,ines, It cost me $500 Canadian, 5 days in the ,hospital, private room, cable and a baby sitter to watch over me and run errands. I was treated well.
It is the same here in the States, when you go out of a big city out to rural America, hospitals are non existent. Some hospital can also refuse to take any patient without a co-payment that they need upon admissiion. If you don't have it, good luck. Very informational post. Thank you.
@@1lolofred I don't have much experience with rural America, but I know we do have laws in America such as the emergency medical treatment and labor act that give patients the right to be treated for an emergency without payment upfront which is already a big difference. There are some exceptions to that law, but most hospitals offer that
@@TheNYCexpat Understood. Hospitals and doctors alike lived on the oath and mantra of non-refusal of any medical service especially on an emergency, but there is a fine line that they tread on and it is called corporate goal which relate to money. Even with your health insurance available, there are limitations as far as coverages are concerned thereby you are on your own or you are in a county, State or government run facility. It is downright scary to get sick and be worrying of how to be able to pay. Europe is different, they tax you more but health services are free. Canada followed suit. I realize you know what I am talking about. It all comes down to money. Have a nice day and enjoy.
Thanks for the info. As a US/Pinoy citizen who plans to retire in the Philippines, this is very informative. I keep debating on whether I should pursue retirement in the PI but your video surely helps.
no prob and rent is cheap enough where you could probably mix and match if you want to spend some time in both countries until you're sure The only thing is the flights aren't cheap lol
@@joelmcclellan1050 lol thank you and nah sometimes I need to slow down when I'm talking I learned that from my wife, but glad you got some good info out of it any way Thank you for watching
It's hard to carry a substantial amount of cash with you all the time because your wallet/bag is going to be 6 inches thick with the wad of cash you'll need. Just have 1 or 2 good high limit credit cards and they work fine and take up a helluva lot less space. Unless you're in a really rural province area, the credit/debit cards will get you in.
Your video is the first video on health care in the Philippines I have pre-existing health issues, heart, high blood pressure and I’m type two diabetes my plans were to come to the Philippines for a month and try and get some of these issues answered for me again. My plans were either Manila, Cebu as where to live again, I’ll be coming with a little savings and my Social Security again. My medicines were my biggest worries as here one of my medication’s without insurance is $600 a month and the others are between 300 and $200 a month without insuranceso you can see your video is the most important video I’ve seen yet thank you very much for making it . My plans is that I’d be coming over in November for a no less than a month again if it would be possible to meet you when I go to Cebu just to talk things over. I’d appreciate it. Again I have some experience with Thailand visited there about 6 or 7 times and I have been admitted to the hospitals. It’s surprised me how cheap it really was compared to the states. I was in the hospital for 24 hours. I had an EKG done. I had blood work done x-rays and a night stay in the hospital I think it cost me about $200 American with medicine I had a lung infection I was expecting $1000 more with my insurance as I informed my insurance company that I was going overseas and could I be covered which I was I never had to use that insurance coverage
Hey man, thank you for the comment. It's really nice to read stuff like this because it's great to be able to make a difference. I'm not sure what medicine you take, but for example beta blockers you can get here for like 8 dollars for 120 quantity which is more than enough for a month, so the prices for most medicines I've seen have been affordable. You can check if you go on Watsons pharmacy ph website and type in what you take, they list most things with prices actually. And sure if you come to the Philippines you can just message me or email me newyorkerinthephilippines at gmail for email
In Cebu province it's $5.00 to see a doctor. Semi private room under $20.00 with a/c but no tv. Knee or hip replacement $3000.00 . In sUSA $120000.00. average rx is $5 to $10.00. you get all you need for less than USA copays. Most hospitals take credit cards. You probably need 20,000 php or $400 im pocket if no credit card.
Healthcare in the Philippines is free.Also there are public hospitals for every big municipality also in cities there is private and public hospitals ,have also provincial hospital and regional medical center
It's not free for non Filipinos and a lot of the time it's not totally free for Filipinos either from what I've seen, so I can't put out that information. I'm sure there are some free services a local can avail, but that's a lot different from free universal healthcare
Excellent video, my wife and I live permanently here in the Philippines since the pandemic. In the last year, my wife has been in and out of the hospital and had surgical procedures and still has one more if she is cleared by the end of the year. We go to St. Luke’s in Manila. If you stay in a nice room, it is much nicer than any hospital that we have been in the Tampa area Florida. My wife has Phil Health and still we spent 1.6 million pesos so far on her healthcare in the past year. Just the last surgery alone was almost 700,000. It really depends on the kind of care that you’re looking for how much you’re going to pay. My biggest recommendation for people coming to visit is bring a great budget and have some cash in the bank in case something happens for an emergency.
Yea st lukes is top notch in both quality and price haha, but hopefully everything is going good. And yea there can be a lot of different price and quality points here. It's more of a free market than america when it comes to shopping around so to say for the best care, which comes with pros and cons
My brother-in-law was supposed to have a heart surgery but it will cost more or less than 2million php. He's a veteran, he decided to fly back to the US. It's cheaper to fly back to the US than have his heart surgery in St. Lukes.
@@axizcorp that’s why the nice things about living in America that we miss is the healthcare. We used to be able to just pay our deductible and the rest was covered. Here we have Phil health insurance, but it only covers very small amount. I hope one day the Philippines will have the same health system as some of the other countries in the world. I hope your brother-in-law is doing well after his surgery. Any kind of heart surgery is always scary.
@@axizcorpif you insurance back home that covers it yea. St Luke's is good quality, but it's not cheap, it comes with a premium price also Hope he is going good and everything went good with his surgery!
@@MarkPuke13 oh really, what happened? I also haven't been feeling that great so I understand lol. Hope we both feel better soon man! You're in Guam now? For military stuff or?
Maxicare was better pre-pandemic. Now they removed coverage on thyroid panel and other tests on their prepaid card plans. They also increased their prices as soon as they initially removed those plans in the market abruptly and when they put it back, those increase and lesser coverage was there.
Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately healthcare like so many other things in the world is a business and driven by profits over people's well being a lot of the time. I appreciate your comment though, as it can help someone know more about what's going on and big companies should be called when they do things like that. That seems to be a trend in today's world, pay more for less
Great video. If you don't mind me asking, what is your source of income that allows you to move to the Philippines at such a young age? Thanks and keep the video coming. I'm from New York as well.
Not sure much about it like I said, but do know there's something of the sort in manila and cebu. Just a starting point for those looking that it might help out
@@TheNYCexpat I understand. I was just putting that out there based on my experience with the VA clinic in Manila when I stopped by for medication a couple months ago.
@@calschroc8902 got you, I appreciate the extra information because that wasn't something I was very knowledgeable on, just something I heard some people who were veterans talking about
Hey yea no problem. I used the Maxicare prima silver, but I think silver and gold are essentially the same except if you're over 60 you need to get the gold one for coverage basically. Those cards will cover diagnostics and consults for a year at any Maxicare clinic. Then in the video I also spoke about the Maxicare er ready cards also which cover emergency and hospital. They make a few versions of those too. Make sure you get the one that covers the big 6 hospitals as they call it if you want to use it as those, if not then you can get the other one and save some money if you'd like
Never said it pays the entire bill, they pay a small percentage of private like 20%, but for public they will pay the entire bill sometimes it depends on the hospital and your Philhealth category
@@TheNYCexpat Yeah, My introduction to Filipino life was when I went to get married there in 2011. Wife's brother was in the Provincial hospital after breaking his hand, and wife's mother was in a private hospital because she had a huge boil on her head. So my honeymoon ended up going back and forth between the two cities they were in buying supplies, food, meds, etc... and paying the watchers. We also had to scramble around updating the brother's Phi Health that he had let lapse (Back then it wasn't free, but you could take Jollibee and the back premiums and "Catch up"... Hospitals in the provinces typically have little to know supplies and you have to buy meds and supplies outside of the hospitals, often there are small micro pharmacies right outside. They look like flea market booths. We had to buy the plaster of paris for the brother's broken wrist, meds for both patients and the watchers. I was in the Hospital in the small town hospital for a week on IV antibiotics and the total bill was just over 400 bucks. So it is way cheaper.
I'm not sure. You could get the Maxicare er ready prepaid cards like I said $100 for $1,0000 of coverage and then you'd have to reach out to some hmo mentioned in the video idk which one would have the best rates and coverage for you, since they would have to put something together to send you po
Dear , intensive care in Philippines is crazy expensive in Philippines, I checked in hospital in Cebu for food poisoning and they charged 24000 peso for 8 hours of care made of basic medicine and 2 IV bag , please show the real cost and the consequences of those who can’t afford the hospital bill …..
@@easygoing4769 intensive care aka icu and the emergency room aka er are not the same thing. If you were in icu and you paid 24,000 php aka around 400 dollars, that’s still quite cheap compared to the west. Also like I said in the video there’s no one size fits all generalization because different places and producers cost different things, which is why we’re going over health care insurance options in the video. Sorry you had a bad experience, hope you’re feeling better now
@@easygoing4769 intensive care aka icu and the emergency room aka er are not the same thing. If you were in icu and you paid 24,000 php aka around 400 dollars, that’s still quite cheap compared to the west. Also like I said in the video there’s no one size fits all generalization because different places and producers cost different things, which is why we’re going over health care insurance options in the video. Sorry you had a bad experience, hope you’re feeling better now
Yes. They will have different prepaid cards for seniors though for example the Maxicare prima silver vs prima gold for diagnostics and doctor visits. The gold is required if you're over 60. It's a little more expensive, but nothing substantial
Get hurt. Get taken to a hospital in a big city. No insurance. No cash on you. What about a credit or debit card? Won’t they let you pre-pay with that?
Yea as long as they have that option there then they should. But my point was sometimes they want payment up front as opposed to how it is in the us. That's a flaw in the system here though for the user
@@wesgraham2262 indeed. I will be making a video covering some of the negative things about The Philippines too and that will be one of the top things. Say what you want about American health care prices, but they take care of you and you can worry about payment after at least
@@KevinVenturePhilippines yes, $1000 basically for that years worth of health coverage from the different things stacked that I talked about on the video
Some things are hard about it, some aren't. Just like anywhere, but there are different hardships in different places. The healthcare care system is another obvious example of the extreme wealth gap here. There are high end hospitals and then low end ones, not much in between. The Philippines really is missing that middle class
I only use TH-cam. $5 s month to become a channel member if you're interested, will provide one on one talks got anyone that had additional questions or needs help with their move over to The Philippines
@@TheNYCexpat gees idk I am on ssdi and I need a health care insurance that will let me see the doctor and get my crazy pills lol I need to keep taking the medication nd treatment so my ssdi don’t get cut off do those plans include psychiatric doctors also
Very very interesting and top notch info , bro Best i have come by till now , keep up the good work..... I will for sure take the insurance mix like you said when i come to live there soon...... Question , is it true that you need to provide for your own meal when your in the hospital , ???
Hey man, thank you. I know it's an important subject, though often overlooked on the world of TH-cam, so I tried to put something good together. As for the meals, if you're at a private hospital, especially one of the bigger ones (there's a big 6 here in manila that would be st lukes Quezon city, st lukes bonifacio global city, the medical city, Makati medical, asian hospital, and cardinal santos medical center) anything big like that or most mid sized privates will provide you meals, but most publics or smaller ones will not, they just don't have the budget I guess. When my wife delivered the baby she went to private and I had to bring her food or order her grab (delivery) there every day lol They covered her entire bill with Philhealth though, so can't complain over spending a few bucks on meals
@@TheNYCexpatabout hospital food, as far as my experience, they give 3meals a day to patients based on doctors order even In A public hospital...you went private hospital and yet no food?? I'm also curious about philhealth covering full bill, I think your wife's philhealth insurance is the indigenous type...btw, philhealth has 2 types of insurance: Private- for employed/self employed Indigenous- for poor families simply unemployed individuals *A former OJT of philhealth here
@@jillianmariemadera2077 no I said when my wife went to the hospital, Quirino medical center which is a public she was not provided any meals. Had to bring them to the guard outside or have them delivered via grab. Not sure why that is, but that was our experience with it
@@TheNYCexpat oh ok...guess we each have a different experience I guess....as my previous comment has said, got admitted before here in Iloilo city in a public hospital as well but food was delivered to me based on doctors order
If anyone has anything to add or ask, you can do it here!
The best way to minimize health care problems and expenses is to eat a healthy diet and exercise. In 2022, I went KETO + One Meal A Day (OMAD) + walking 8 miles every other day. I lost 50 lbs., got off 7 medications with doctor’s guidance and have had the best blood test results ever. Two years 5 months later I’m still living this way.
korek plus CASH and philhealth
Based on videos about the poor and homeless in america and the philippines. I can confidently say poor filipinos looks happier.
Yea I'm not an expert on that topic, but a lot of homeless in America are drug addicts so that certainly doesn't help. The homeless I've seen here are often together still with family, trying to sell things and make some money
Don't be confident in anything you say that comes from "watching videos on TH-cam". Wait til you see a guy with mangled legs dragging himself along with a skateboard begging for money.
@@-whackdOkay, so what’s your point?
That’s an understatement
@@reyc8736the point I got is everything is happier in the Philippines…your reply appears to come from a US mindset.
As a spouse of a Filipina I paid P16,800 (roughly $300.00) for one year of PhilHealth. I wanted a ticket in the door if I need a hospital. We've been pleasantly surprised with our local (Batangas) doctors. Our family doctor had previously practiced in Buffalo, NY. She's excellent as is our local dentist. We just pay cash for those appointments. Informative video, but I have one small quibble. Wear a NY KNICKS jersey! Informative video. Thanks.
Where in batangas and what hospital?
Thank you for the info and haha yea I will get a brunson jersey when they win the ship!
I can't thank you enough! The main thing holding me back from retiring in the Philippines was medical coverage. I have preexisting conditions, two heart attacks in the past & I know I would never be able to afford coverage at 70 based on this. I have never heard about the medical coverage card that you can purchase for $100 for $1,000 coverage, including preexisting conditions! (I have watched hundreds if not thousands of videos on the Philippines & this is the first time I have heard anyone mention this! Are Expats there not aware of this???) I knew about PhilHealth & private insurance, like through Pacific Cross. Anyway, you have possibly made a huge difference in my life. Thank you so much!!
Hey, thank you! All I can say is maybe healthcare is kind of a niche topic, it's not something a lot of people know or care about until they need it. I know that it's important, so I wanted to do my best to cover as much info as I could in the video.
I'm glad you found some helpful info in my video though and that it will help you with your move. Remember though , it's also best to have a savings on hand if you can afford to.
God bless
@@TheNYCexpat thank you. Yes, I know it's important to have some extra savings for unexpected medical expenses on top of what other affordable ways I can find that would be helpful to cover some expenses I might incur. You give good advice for such a young man! BTW, you have a beautiful wife & baby. Blessings to you all.
@@ThereIsSoulInArt I appreciate the kind words. I've been through the life of a 1,000 year old so maybe it's some wisdom I've acquired haha
@@TheNYCexpat yes, I think you have had to grow up fast & have endured many experiences that many your age have not (just my gut feeling as a Grammy - 😉). You should be proud!
@@ThereIsSoulInArt thank you internet grammy. Appreciate the kindness and glad I could help you out too!
I need to return and retire in CEBU City or Makati Manila being a military 🪖 veteran. Plus still keep my Medicare in case I need to go to America 🇺🇸 territory of Guam, thank you for this information about the Philippines 🇵🇭.
It would be great if Medicare would pay bills in other countries, but I guess they are afraid of scams.
Congrats Mike on being monetized!! This video on healthcare is so important and you knocked it out of the park. These are the type of videos that us wanna bees are looking for, but most vlogger don't cover. Topics like: how to transfer money there (Wise, or Charles Schwab); whether to keep a US phone to get text codes from the bank to access accounts; how to buy and install a Philippines SIM card; how much cash to bring; how to look for apartments. These are all topics that most neglect to talk about because they don't get the views like the dating vids. Thanks for helping us!! You'll be at 10K subs before you know it.
Haha I got you and I just replied to your other comment too about the Maxicare cards. As far as the video goes, thank you for watching and the kind words bro.
Those are some good ideas. Those are the type of topics that maybe aren't as sexy, but they're important like you said. I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate them into my channel, while putting my style on them.
I will have some videos on budgeting and apartment searching here soon so will touch on those topics, but I'll also consider the other ones you mentioned too since those are good also
Oh and thank you for the grats haha
@@TheNYCexpathow to contact u bro I need to talk to u
@@dextertyson558 sign up for membership can get social media to answer questions one on one and all that
This is an OUTSTANDING video! Good info all around and no fluff or BS.
LOVE IT! In the future, show us around some of the hospitals and medical care places as that's not really been done before.
Good for a lot of views IMO. Something I would love to watch.
@@MickeyMishra thank you boss, appreciate it. Most hospitals have laws about recording so there are a lot of limitations, it's essentially impossible to do besides maybe some of the lobby, but hopefully this video will help people have a starting point
Guam 🇬🇺 is a US territory. Your Medicare will work there. The VA clinic in Manila will only see you for service connected issues. It's not a hospital it's a clinic.
Oh that's good to know
Have you experienced using a hospital in Guam? If so, what was the quality of care.
That’s good to know!!! Thank you
Philhealth - can be thru employment or you can do voluntary payments. You have the optuon to pay quarterly/yearly. If im not mistaken, correct me if im wrong, the payment would be, for example it's already may, your payment would be for the previous 6mos. It's the fund for your acct, something like that. Monthly fee is 5% of your declared income. Coverage is roughly around 60-70% of your hospital bill.
Yea from what I've heard from some foreigners I spoke to theyre paying ₱17,000 annually to get on Philhealth, but for a local it would be based off of their income like you said. The coverage depends on the type of hospital in our experience. For public hospitals they will sometimes cover the entire bill, for private hospitals typically only like 20 percent though if that.
The Philippines government actually is trying to pass a bill bringing it up to 50 percent coverage in private, but haven't heard anything about the bill going through, just being proposed
Just watched your American Dream vlog as my introduction to your channel. You do a good job and wish you the best. I just subscribed.
Thank you, I do my best haha. I know before I moved I was watching a lot of TH-cam videos trying to find information and guidance, so I'm just putting out the content that I was looking for
Great video, Mike! Been thinking about healthcare in the Philippines and was curious if the VA was in the country. Thanks for the info and the links. You rock!
Thank you!
VA service, medical in Manila only. Not a good place to live. Live outside Manila, Only got v a for major probs wiser
Been living in the Philippines for 6 yrs with some small breaks in between. I'm 50 yrs old and I've been self insured which for a younger expat and for many is probably one's best bet. I would say Expat health insurance as a waste of money here. A Doctor's visit called a Consult can cost as little as $10. If you need to see a specialist and you live in one of the rural provinces or Islands just simply book a trip to one of the larger cities and stay in a hotel or AirBnB. I pay cash for everything here including Dental and Health Care. I'm a Veteran, the VA only covers Service Connected issues and Primary Care for some vets. It's not a full service hospital. For Disabled Vets they will send out your Medication at no cost.
What these Vloggers doesn't tell you is when you're 65 yrs old & above in which you really need insurance cuz as you aged, you'll have multiple medical issues but not too many sell insurance for 65 & above. If they do, it'll cost you triple with limited coverage. Also a friend was admitted at St. Luke in QC & was in ICU for 3 weeks, his total bill was $70K ( Close to 4 Million Pesos). A heart bypass cost $25K or 1.4 Million pesos. It depends on the situation. For simple problem, it's cheap.
I am up to date😀. Have listened to all the vlogs & watched ~1/2. All very good. This healthcare vlog provided some new info I wasn’t aware of (didn’t kno St Luke’s was Mayo affiliated!) & didn’t know about prepaid card thing; some info I did know. Good to kno my casual research has been fruitful. I most appreciated the tone overall, very reassuring & positive. I wasn’t worried in a deep sense, but as I listened to Mike I realized I was a bit more worried than I’d thought but I agree that it is best to let that go. Cash is 🤴, tailor an affordable not exorbitant system for individual needs, & be at peace.
Yea it's not all good, but it's not all bad either, like most things. There is good healthcare available, but almost all of it is pay up front, so you have to have insurance or cash and the insurances are sort of hit or miss
Mike, Healthcare is a very important thing, and I feel that I must take that into consideration when deciding which city to live in.
Yea Larry, it's something to keep in mind. You can message me or email me if you ever need more info about it!, I got you!
Well, in Cebu you can have both - Tourist Spots, Condos, Food, Private Hospitals with world class doctors, state-of-the-art facilities, AirAmbulance... Cash and CreditCards are always welcome.If you have AXA, much better.
All of those things are available in Manila too. The question is and the point of the video is, can you afford them or find a reliable insurance to cover them? That's the challenge for most people, local and expat alike
Great video man. Congrats on getting monetized. Peace and God bless!
Thank you bro, God bless
Thank You New Yorker for this video, really important topic!
Got you bro, no problem
Good vlog, moving in a couple of month from Thailand and will be using this info as reference. Thx
@@henryeverhart-martinez5879 no prob man, glad it could help
Your videos are very informative, high quality, keep it up.
Thank you!
I’m moving out of scum America myself buddy ❤
Great video 😊
Great video! I just found your channel I am a New Yorker planning to retire in the Philippines one day-this is super helpful -Thank you.
What's up man! Thank you and welcome to the channel. Hope you find some useful info and some laughs along the way while watching
subscribed your topics are spot on bro very helpful channel very honest and legit, planning to move back ASAP from Canada.... but still investing as much as possible
@@FeydHarkon666 thank you man and I try. If you need anything or have any questions about The Philippines you can always leave a comment. Glad you're liking the videos
@@TheNYCexpat Yeah hope you enjoy your stay, just don't wondering off to the Moro region of Mindanao, even local Filipinos do not trust those buggers..
If have Aetna insurance in USA than have to get medical service as an emergency than you have to pay from pocket first than when you go back to USA send your all medical bills to Aetna they will reimburse all expenses after deduction according to our insurance
That's good info, thank you for adding it
That is only good if you are there for a short time, I think 3 months.
Great information. Great advice!!
I had a heart attack in Dumagetti philipp,ines, It cost me $500 Canadian, 5 days in the ,hospital, private room, cable and a baby sitter to watch over me and run errands. I was treated well.
Hope you're feeling better
Thank you for telling the truth 🙏 hope government listening
Got you man. Keep it real on this channel
It is the same here in the States, when you go out of a big city out to rural America, hospitals are non existent. Some hospital can also refuse to take any patient without a co-payment that they need upon admissiion. If you don't have it, good luck. Very informational post. Thank you.
@@1lolofred I don't have much experience with rural America, but I know we do have laws in America such as the emergency medical treatment and labor act that give patients the right to be treated for an emergency without payment upfront which is already a big difference. There are some exceptions to that law, but most hospitals offer that
@@TheNYCexpat Understood. Hospitals and doctors alike lived on the oath and mantra of non-refusal of any medical service especially on an emergency, but there is a fine line that they tread on and it is called corporate goal which relate to money. Even with your health insurance available, there are limitations as far as coverages are concerned thereby you are on your own or you are in a county, State or government run facility. It is downright scary to get sick and be worrying of how to be able to pay. Europe is different, they tax you more but health services are free. Canada followed suit. I realize you know what I am talking about. It all comes down to money. Have a nice day and enjoy.
Thanks for the info. As a US/Pinoy citizen who plans to retire in the Philippines, this is very informative. I keep debating on whether I should pursue retirement in the PI but your video surely helps.
no prob and rent is cheap enough where you could probably mix and match if you want to spend some time in both countries until you're sure
The only thing is the flights aren't cheap lol
very, very good, no nonsense video, lots of useful info. thanks so much!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
No problemo. Thank you for watching
It helps a lot. Pretty smart.
Wow…Tons of good information! Kinda glad you are from NYC, if it was me “country boy”, hell we may have to suffer a 3 part video.
@@joelmcclellan1050 lol thank you and nah sometimes I need to slow down when I'm talking I learned that from my wife, but glad you got some good info out of it any way
Thank you for watching
Hi Mike.
Thanks for this important video with great info. about health care and insurance options in the Philippines.
Thanks 👍 and take care.
It's hard to carry a substantial amount of cash with you all the time because your wallet/bag is going to be 6 inches thick with the wad of cash you'll need. Just have 1 or 2 good high limit credit cards and they work fine and take up a helluva lot less space. Unless you're in a really rural province area, the credit/debit cards will get you in.
@@222jojo yea,I mostly use g cash. Rarely actual cash because like you said, you’re carrying a lot of smaller bills a lot of the time lol
Nice seeing you person 10 minutes ago :-)
Juell's Another Vlogger Highly recommends St. Lukes
Thank you. Great video
Your video is the first video on health care in the Philippines I have pre-existing health issues, heart, high blood pressure and I’m type two diabetes my plans were to come to the Philippines for a month and try and get some of these issues answered for me again. My plans were either Manila, Cebu as where to live again, I’ll be coming with a little savings and my Social Security again. My medicines were my biggest worries as here one of my medication’s without insurance is $600 a month and the others are between 300 and $200 a month without insuranceso you can see your video is the most important video I’ve seen yet thank you very much for making it . My plans is that I’d be coming over in November for a no less than a month again if it would be possible to meet you when I go to Cebu just to talk things over. I’d appreciate it. Again I have some experience with Thailand visited there about 6 or 7 times and I have been admitted to the hospitals. It’s surprised me how cheap it really was compared to the states. I was in the hospital for 24 hours. I had an EKG done. I had blood work done x-rays and a night stay in the hospital I think it cost me about $200 American with medicine I had a lung infection I was expecting $1000 more with my insurance as I informed my insurance company that I was going overseas and could I be covered which I was I never had to use that insurance coverage
Hey man, thank you for the comment. It's really nice to read stuff like this because it's great to be able to make a difference.
I'm not sure what medicine you take, but for example beta blockers you can get here for like 8 dollars for 120 quantity which is more than enough for a month, so the prices for most medicines I've seen have been affordable. You can check if you go on Watsons pharmacy ph website and type in what you take, they list most things with prices actually.
And sure if you come to the Philippines you can just message me or email me newyorkerinthephilippines at gmail for email
Be sure tell your doctor to give you 6 mos. medications refills and get Travel Health Insurance, before going Asia .
In Cebu province it's $5.00 to see a doctor. Semi private room under $20.00 with a/c but no tv. Knee or hip replacement $3000.00 . In sUSA $120000.00. average rx is $5 to $10.00. you get all you need for less than USA copays. Most hospitals take credit cards. You probably need 20,000 php or $400 im pocket if no credit card.
I'm a retired RN 25 years in pH.
I got dengue from mosquito when I was there in mindanao 3 days in hospital cost me $600 usd.
Glad you're doing better now
Healthcare in the Philippines is free.Also there are public hospitals for every big municipality also in cities there is private and public hospitals ,have also provincial hospital and regional medical center
It's not free for non Filipinos and a lot of the time it's not totally free for Filipinos either from what I've seen, so I can't put out that information. I'm sure there are some free services a local can avail, but that's a lot different from free universal healthcare
There's a US veterans administration hospital on Roxas Blvd in Manila for those of us with VA care
Can you get monthly meds from the VA there?
Excellent video, my wife and I live permanently here in the Philippines since the pandemic. In the last year, my wife has been in and out of the hospital and had surgical procedures and still has one more if she is cleared by the end of the year. We go to St. Luke’s in Manila. If you stay in a nice room, it is much nicer than any hospital that we have been in the Tampa area Florida. My wife has Phil Health and still we spent 1.6 million pesos so far on her healthcare in the past year. Just the last surgery alone was almost 700,000. It really depends on the kind of care that you’re looking for how much you’re going to pay. My biggest recommendation for people coming to visit is bring a great budget and have some cash in the bank in case something happens for an emergency.
Yea st lukes is top notch in both quality and price haha, but hopefully everything is going good.
And yea there can be a lot of different price and quality points here. It's more of a free market than america when it comes to shopping around so to say for the best care, which comes with pros and cons
Also thank you for watching!
My brother-in-law was supposed to have a heart surgery but it will cost more or less than 2million php. He's a veteran, he decided to fly back to the US. It's cheaper to fly back to the US than have his heart surgery in St. Lukes.
@@axizcorp that’s why the nice things about living in America that we miss is the healthcare. We used to be able to just pay our deductible and the rest was covered.
Here we have Phil health insurance, but it only covers very small amount.
I hope one day the Philippines will have the same health system as some of the other countries in the world.
I hope your brother-in-law is doing well after his surgery. Any kind of heart surgery is always scary.
@@axizcorpif you insurance back home that covers it yea. St Luke's is good quality, but it's not cheap, it comes with a premium price also
Hope he is going good and everything went good with his surgery!
Great video very informative ❤
Thank you!
Cash is king especially when you get charged $9 for an xray in Perpetual Hospital WOW.
Cash may be king but insurance is still important. Some Medicare advantage cover emergency medical. But no philhealth.
Thanks for the insight❤
Thank you bro. How you been? What's been up over there
@@TheNYCexpat been injured actually ahaha so this really was a great insight and info!!!
Hello from
Guam be there by September 💪
@@MarkPuke13 oh really, what happened? I also haven't been feeling that great so I understand lol. Hope we both feel better soon man!
You're in Guam now? For military stuff or?
@@TheNYCexpat 🙏 home. But yeah ill visit my other home september!! Bagumbayan eastwood!!!!
Maxicare was better pre-pandemic. Now they removed coverage on thyroid panel and other tests on their prepaid card plans. They also increased their prices as soon as they initially removed those plans in the market abruptly and when they put it back, those increase and lesser coverage was there.
Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately healthcare like so many other things in the world is a business and driven by profits over people's well being a lot of the time. I appreciate your comment though, as it can help someone know more about what's going on and big companies should be called when they do things like that. That seems to be a trend in today's world, pay more for less
Great video. If you don't mind me asking, what is your source of income that allows you to move to the Philippines at such a young age? Thanks and keep the video coming. I'm from New York as well.
savings, teaching, this lol
Great presentation bohol the hospital are soso
Great video New Yorker! Do you happen to know if 800 mg IB Profin is legal in the Philippines?
Idk about the mg, but advil is the same right? You can get it over the counter at the pharmacy here in The Philippines, yea
Also thank you for watching!
VA clinic is limited on services and mainly handle service connected issues. If I’m wrong, someone let me know.
Not sure much about it like I said, but do know there's something of the sort in manila and cebu. Just a starting point for those looking that it might help out
@@TheNYCexpat I understand. I was just putting that out there based on my experience with the VA clinic in Manila when I stopped by for medication a couple months ago.
@@calschroc8902 got you, I appreciate the extra information because that wasn't something I was very knowledgeable on, just something I heard some people who were veterans talking about
@@calschroc8902 Can you get monthly meds from VA there?
Mike would you mind sharing what Maxicare plan you use? I see they have a Prima Gold, Prima Silver, and a couple others.
Hey yea no problem. I used the Maxicare prima silver, but I think silver and gold are essentially the same except if you're over 60 you need to get the gold one for coverage basically.
Those cards will cover diagnostics and consults for a year at any Maxicare clinic.
Then in the video I also spoke about the Maxicare er ready cards also which cover emergency and hospital. They make a few versions of those too. Make sure you get the one that covers the big 6 hospitals as they call it if you want to use it as those, if not then you can get the other one and save some money if you'd like
I had a med emergency similar to yours in California. Medicare paid for most everything but the bill from the vendor totaled close to usd 5k.
Thank you!
No prob, hope it helps
Thank you
@@susanamartinez-kq3ik no prob, thank you for watching
I had ct scan of my abdomen last week and my insurance was charged $3000. That was non emergent imaging, it was scheduled
In America you mean? $3,000 is crazy for one scan though. Hopefully you're feeling better
@@TheNYCexpatyes. My part was $200.
I remember having to give the hospital 50k php before they would help with my wife giving birth to our son in the philippines.
@@abcbizarre most places are pay first, so yea that’s normal. 50k php for any international viewers is about $900
Thanks bro, good rap--
Thanks bro!
No prob bro. Thank you for watching!
Philhealth doesn't pay the whole bill private or public. There are a lot of things they don't pay for
Never said it pays the entire bill, they pay a small percentage of private like 20%, but for public they will pay the entire bill sometimes it depends on the hospital and your Philhealth category
@@TheNYCexpat Yeah, My introduction to Filipino life was when I went to get married there in 2011. Wife's brother was in the Provincial hospital after breaking his hand, and wife's mother was in a private hospital because she had a huge boil on her head. So my honeymoon ended up going back and forth between the two cities they were in buying supplies, food, meds, etc... and paying the watchers. We also had to scramble around updating the brother's Phi Health that he had let lapse (Back then it wasn't free, but you could take Jollibee and the back premiums and "Catch up"... Hospitals in the provinces typically have little to know supplies and you have to buy meds and supplies outside of the hospitals, often there are small micro pharmacies right outside. They look like flea market booths. We had to buy the plaster of paris for the brother's broken wrist, meds for both patients and the watchers.
I was in the Hospital in the small town hospital for a week on IV antibiotics and the total bill was just over 400 bucks. So it is way cheaper.
At 73 I have 100% in USA. Here, at 73 only Phil health. What plans cover you to age 100?
I'm not sure. You could get the Maxicare er ready prepaid cards like I said $100 for $1,0000 of coverage and then you'd have to reach out to some hmo mentioned in the video idk which one would have the best rates and coverage for you, since they would have to put something together to send you po
Dear , intensive care in Philippines is crazy expensive in Philippines, I checked in hospital in Cebu for food poisoning and they charged 24000 peso for 8 hours of care made of basic medicine and 2 IV bag , please show the real cost and the consequences of those who can’t afford the hospital bill …..
@@easygoing4769 intensive care aka icu and the emergency room aka er are not the same thing. If you were in icu and you paid 24,000 php aka around 400 dollars, that’s still quite cheap compared to the west.
Also like I said in the video there’s no one size fits all generalization because different places and producers cost different things, which is why we’re going over health care insurance options in the video. Sorry you had a bad experience, hope you’re feeling better now
@@easygoing4769 intensive care aka icu and the emergency room aka er are not the same thing. If you were in icu and you paid 24,000 php aka around 400 dollars, that’s still quite cheap compared to the west.
Also like I said in the video there’s no one size fits all generalization because different places and producers cost different things, which is why we’re going over health care insurance options in the video. Sorry you had a bad experience, hope you’re feeling better now
Best Healthcare Video Around
Thank you so much bro, first super like comment I ever got haha! Appreciate it my man
Thank you you're so generous
@@Love-dh6sj, Always to vloggers with good , content , i am coming to live there soon , so very much appreciate these , golden info...
@@EddyTheEagle7 I got you bro. Thank you and just holla if you need anything else
I got a scrap with a rat in manilla I got 7 injection it cost me £100
@@paddymagill1239 lol sorry to laugh, but scrapping with a rat is some imagery.
$100 isn't too bad, hope you're feeling better now
Cash is king here there is no good health care here the rates are sooo high your best to put it away in cash
🙋♀️🫶🌏🤝💙👌🎊
Maxicare applicable over 65 years old ????
Yes. They will have different prepaid cards for seniors though for example the Maxicare prima silver vs prima gold for diagnostics and doctor visits. The gold is required if you're over 60. It's a little more expensive, but nothing substantial
You blew up the spot
Which one? Lol
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Get hurt. Get taken to a hospital in a big city. No insurance. No cash on you. What about a credit or debit card? Won’t they let you pre-pay with that?
Yea as long as they have that option there then they should. But my point was sometimes they want payment up front as opposed to how it is in the us. That's a flaw in the system here though for the user
@@TheNYCexpat Sure is. Not good.
@@wesgraham2262 indeed. I will be making a video covering some of the negative things about The Philippines too and that will be one of the top things. Say what you want about American health care prices, but they take care of you and you can worry about payment after at least
@@TheNYCexpat Very true. Everyone gets seen, eventually and then treated.
A thousand dollars a month?
A thousand for what exactly? Not sure what you're referring to.
A year. He paid the $700 for a HMO for a year, then the other cards which are also both good for a year.
@@KevinVenturePhilippines yes, $1000 basically for that years worth of health coverage from the different things stacked that I talked about on the video
it's hard to live in the Philippines since it's a third world country. The health care system is poor. and being homeless is not good either
Some things are hard about it, some aren't. Just like anywhere, but there are different hardships in different places.
The healthcare care system is another obvious example of the extreme wealth gap here. There are high end hospitals and then low end ones, not much in between. The Philippines really is missing that middle class
New Yorker wearing a LA LAKERS JERSEY CASE CLOSED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!💩
Lol I know I should have a brunson jersey for every days attire
@@TheNYCexpat whatever go home Yankee you know nothing about our lives here. You are a tourist take pictures spend money and leave with your memories
How to contact u bro I can’t find u on instagram I need to talk to u about something
I only use TH-cam. $5 s month to become a channel member if you're interested, will provide one on one talks got anyone that had additional questions or needs help with their move over to The Philippines
@@TheNYCexpat gees idk I am on ssdi and I need a health care insurance that will let me see the doctor and get my crazy pills lol I need to keep taking the medication nd treatment so my ssdi don’t get cut off do those plans include psychiatric doctors also
@@TheNYCexpatI am sorry bro
Very very interesting and top notch info , bro
Best i have come by till now , keep up the good work.....
I will for sure take the insurance mix like you said when i come to live there soon......
Question , is it true that you need to provide for your own meal when your in the hospital , ???
Hey man, thank you. I know it's an important subject, though often overlooked on the world of TH-cam, so I tried to put something good together.
As for the meals, if you're at a private hospital, especially one of the bigger ones (there's a big 6 here in manila that would be st lukes Quezon city, st lukes bonifacio global city, the medical city, Makati medical, asian hospital, and cardinal santos medical center) anything big like that or most mid sized privates will provide you meals, but most publics or smaller ones will not, they just don't have the budget I guess. When my wife delivered the baby she went to private and I had to bring her food or order her grab (delivery) there every day lol
They covered her entire bill with Philhealth though, so can't complain over spending a few bucks on meals
@@TheNYCexpatabout hospital food, as far as my experience, they give 3meals a day to patients based on doctors order even In A public hospital...you went private hospital and yet no food?? I'm also curious about philhealth covering full bill, I think your wife's philhealth insurance is the indigenous type...btw, philhealth has 2 types of insurance:
Private- for employed/self employed
Indigenous- for poor families
simply unemployed individuals
*A former OJT of philhealth here
@@jillianmariemadera2077 no I said when my wife went to the hospital, Quirino medical center which is a public she was not provided any meals. Had to bring them to the guard outside or have them delivered via grab. Not sure why that is, but that was our experience with it
@@TheNYCexpat oh ok...guess we each have a different experience I guess....as my previous comment has said, got admitted before here in Iloilo city in a public hospital as well but food was delivered to me based on doctors order
@@jillianmariemadera2077 yea it could vary from place to place with each hospitals policies or budget
Thank you!
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