Medical Insurance For Over 70?
 

Hi

My mother is currently in the Philippines on a tourist visa for 59 days and is covered by her current travel insurance.

However, she is keen to extend the stay for a year (or longer). We are aware of the SRRV visa, but it is not an option right away.

The one potential stumbling block to her staying beyond her initial 59 days is securing adequate medical / health insurance.

Can anyone help with their experiences on this?

- Is she able to take out any health / medical cover with one of the local providers
- Are there international providers that may give her a policy
- Any travel insurance providers that cater for over 70's that would give an annual insurance which allows her to be in one destination for this length of time? (The ones I have seen only insurance that covers one destination up to a max of 59 days)

Any advice or tips greatly received.

Thanks
Jon

Re: Medical Insurance For Over 70?
 

Does your mother have credit cards and if she does will they offer any cover?

Most of us who live here full time have a part cover with Phil Health. I am not sure if this can cover your mother as she may have to have a residential status

As for private cover suggest you google and see what comes up

Re: Medical Insurance For Over 70?
 

http://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-5...sitors-877609/

Thread in the US asking a similar question that had some recommendations.

There are differences as companies don't like insuring folks in the US for long because of the cost, but it's a starting point.

Phil Health for a Parent
 

Jon, you’ve mentioned that your mother is planning on being here for a year or longer, so as soon as her 59 days are up, I’m assuming she’s planning on applying for a 6-month extension. If that’s the case, then as soon as she’s been here for a total of 6-months (of which the initial 59 days are counted), I understand she can apply for an ACR-I. As soon as she has the ACR, she can apply for PhilHealth in her own right; that's right, without being married to a Filipina. I’m not saying it would cover all her needs but at least she’d have the basic coverage, which at P2,400 per annum, is a good starting point.

Before you go down that route however, have you tried enrolling your mother under your own / your wife’s Phil Health plan. For example, it states under Phil Health’s ‘Informal Economy’ Plan, quote,
“parents who are sixty (60) years old or above, not otherwise an enrolled member, whose monthly income is below an amount to be determined by PhilHealth in accordance with the guiding principles set forth in the NHI Act of 2013’ are entitled to Phil Health coverage without paying an additional premium”, unquote. One of the key points is that ‘qualified dependents’ must be declared by the principal member, i.e. their names must be listed under the principal member's Member Data Record (MDR) to ensure hassle-free benefits availment.

Irrelevant of the time that your mother’s been here, surely it's got to be worth popping down to the local PhilHealth office and asking to amend your current plan to include your mother as a qualified dependent. You could get her accepted and if successful, it would be at no extra cost to your current premium. The worst they can say is no. You haven't said much about your own PhilHealth Plan, if indeed you have one, so I've had to do a lot of assuming, i.e. that you or your wife are already a principal member.