quiltman

Seems to be that if you get registered with a GP , the hospital will normally not query your status as generally in the UK you get referred to hospital via your GP. As a hospital has to put your GPs details on various forms, if you do not have one then they may well check your status. If you cannot afford good health insurance here then a major surgery can bankrupt you! My wife recently spent 4 days, 3 nights in Chong Hua for surgery on an infected cyst and even with a contribution from Philhealth AND a 20% Seniors discount, the bill still came to nearly £1000! Cannot fault the care etc and she was admitted within 2 hours of seeing the doctor and operated on the next morning! goodness knows how long she would have waited on the NHS.......
Also certain benefits such as kidney transplant, prostate cancer and some others age out of Philhealth at 70 yrs old. In summation therefore : If you are healthy and/or can afford good health insurance then you'll be OK here. If not then make sure you have an emergency medical fund of at least 250k Pesos or return to UK.
A small point, if you and your partner decide to stay in the UK then you know you would need to apply for one of a Fiancee visa, Marriage visa or Spouse visa? Unless of course your partner has indefinite leave to remain in UK?

quiltman

Oh, by the way my wifes Statement of Account for her stay was 5 pages long! It listed every item charged for : pills, IV drips, plasters, disposable syringes for injections (she is diabetic), blood tests, ECG , operating room costs, oxygen and on and on! OK some items were only 5/10 pesos but it all added up. Her room was about £45 a night but did include meals,such as they were and I could stay and sleep in her room - common here.

salgoud

Quiltman and all,

Thanks for your advice, knowledge and experiences on this matter.

Yes having a good private health insurance in the Philippines would make the future health problems less of a concern. You state having a piggy bank of about 250,000 pesos to cover the serious ailment if not covered. However from my initial checks I have found that health insurance on top of Philhealth could be costing well over 50,000 pesos a month for someone like myself (with a manageable Diabetic and COPD condition). Private health cover being highly expensive as you age.

Anyone know of a good low cost private health plan in the Philippines.

Philhealth paying maybe 30% of costs, can this be combined with a private health cover for the remaining 70%.

You also mention that Philhealth ages out serious ailments at 70, so they just leave you to die after the age of 70!!!!!!!. Is this for both Filipinos and Foreigners?

Thanks

Raffin

On combining Philhealth with a private health plan, I recall a question on a private claim form as to whether Philhealth had been availed, and I assumed at the time that answering yes would lead to that benefit being deducted under the "double insurance" principal.

It's my understanding that most of the serious ailments "Z benefit" package is available for Filipinos post 70 years old, but some exceptions are prostate cancer,kidney transplants and coronary artery bypass ops.

Stokkevn

A friend sent me a link for a health insurance, only had a quick look and unfortunately it does not seem to insure those over 64 but it did seem quite good for the younger set - Shop at PhilCare

quiltman

As Raffin says, certain benefits under the Z package age out at 70 for both Filipinos and foreigners lucky enough to have been enrolled in Philhealth before july 1 2017. The rules changed last year so Foreigners on a tourist visa pay 17,000pesos a year with a reduction of 2,000 for holders of the SRRV and benefits were reduced , including removing the Z package. Like yourself, my wife is a diabetic plus had a heart attack 14 years ago plus arthritis so health insurance for her would take all her monthly pensions! As I'm over 70 , my cost would be over $1000 a month!!! Luckily we can afford her medicines and have some savings plus our credit cards to cover emergencies. As an aside, the chance of getting a kidney transplant in UK if over 70 is very low. As I said, it's no paradise but if you want more details on diabetic care here, cost of insulin etc, then send me a PM.
I've attached a copy of the circular re Philhealth from last year.

sayang

Also note the much cheaper cost of home nursing care/ domestic help. So even if medical care is not as good, QOL for elderly in PHP likely to be better (assuming you have partner who can ensure the help aren't abusing you)

David Mashael

I am insured with AXA PPP, been with them for almost 30 years. They are very good but a little bit expensive.
I have had quotes from Cigna and Pacific Cross. They will both cover over 70 and are cheaper than PPP.
In my case the saving isn't enough to cause me to switch insurers but you might like to ask them for a quote.

britishbull

If you are registered with the UK tax office as non-resident then that department tells the NHS BUT not all the NHS hospitals are yet tied in with the national database. Neither do they seem to backdate info so if you registered as non-resident a decade ago and are still registered with a UK doctor chances are they do not know.

britishbull

Phil hospitals have a bit of reputation for making things worse rather than curing the problem with things like hip surgery.

liam_neeson

I thought I had looked it up before and the life expectancy, despite the harsh life, was only about a 2 year difference? Anyhow, I will be taken care of by my endless amounts of kids, grand children, and great grand children. Don't care if I have a little bit of 3rd world life to deal with. The humidity reminds me of when I was young and in love, making our first kid! If I get really sick, I am just planning on dying. I don't want to be a Darth Vader. All hooked up to machines.