Looking to get health insurance or health card for your family? Check out our list of companies offering prepaid health card in the Philippines.
What can you read in this article?
- Why you should get a health card for your family
- Prepaid health card companies in the Philippines
- Which prepaid health cards cover Covid-19 related cases
Now more than ever, we have realized the importance of having quality health care services that will assist us if we ever need to be hospitalized.
Living in a country where the healthcare costs are just getting more and more expensive makes us think: can we still get access to affordable and quality healthcare services?
Oh, yes, of course, only if we opt to. Here is where having health insurance comes in. Knowing that you will have the access to health care services can give you peace of mind and reassurance that your family will be taken care of in case of a health emergency.
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), being not the healthcare provider themselves, rather, serve as the middlemen between healthcare providers and patients, offer its members access to its network of healthcare providers that include doctors, dentists, hospitals, and clinics.
The standard benefits through an HMO company are composed of out-patient care, in-patient care, emergency care, and preventive care.
- Out-patient care consists of consultations, laboratory, and diagnostic tests, etc.
- In-patient care consists of hospitalization, operating and recovery rooms, professional fees, etc.
- Emergency care includes professional fees, hospital bills, emergency room, even medicine for treatment, etc.
- Preventive care comprises annual physical exams, immunizations, etc.
If you are employed in a good private company, being enrolled in a health maintenance organization (HMO) or having health insurance for you and your dependents is usually one of the given benefits. But what if you are self-employed or unemployed? Is there a way for you to avail of that important resource?
Fortunately, the HMOs are already offering the option for individuals to get a prepaid health card in the Philippines.
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Why choose prepaid health cards in the Philippines?
Prepaid cards are well-known as reloadable and well-used in loading transactions for bills payment and phone services. And while it’s a very important aspect of healthcare, not everyone is aware that purchasing HMO plans in retail is already possible through these.
So now, not only those employed in big companies can avail of quality healthcare. Individuals who are unemployed or are self-employed can get health insurance for the whole family.
Prepaid health cards are the more affordable option for low-income to middle-income earners or even unemployed, that for around PhP100 to PhP5,000, you get an HMO valid for a year or until covered services are not yet used up. Prepaid health cards can be used during emergencies under certain conditions depending on the type of your card and the provider.
These are also flexible as you have the freedom to choose a plan that will let you pay only for what you think is necessary according to your condition. These can vary from emergency care to preventive healthcare, dental services, or hospitalizations benefits.
Most of these HMOs offer a variety of packages with wide coverage. And not only that. Availing of a prepaid health card in the Philippines is easy as you can buy and register online. Payment can be made through credit cards, online fund transfers, bank deposits, or via payment centers and partner merchants.
Interested? Check out our list of HMOs and their prepaid health card packages.
Affordable prepaid health cards in the Philippines
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HMO type: Prepaid health card for emergency care
Price/price range:
- PhP2,950 (Titanium)
- PhP1,039 (Platinum)
Membership eligibility: 15 days old to 65 years old; a Maxicare member or not
Validity: 1 year
Coverage:
- Nationwide ER access to over 1000 Maxicare-affiliated hospitals
- Emergency care services (professional services, emergency room fees, medicines for immediate relief and treatment, oxygen, IV fluids, whole blood, and human blood products, dressings, casts, sutures, X-ray, laboratory and diagnostic tests)
- 20% discount and 15% discount on selected Metro Dental and MyHealth services
- Accidental death, dismemberment, and disablement (ADD&D) up to PhP50,000.00
- Access to all Maxicare-affiliated hospitals excluding *6 major hospitals (Titanium plan)
- Access to all Maxicare-affiliated hospitals including *6 major hospitals (Platinum plan)
Does it cover Covid-19 related cases? Yes, subject to the benefits and eligibility of your selected Maxicare healthcare program.
Registration: SMS and online application; without preliminary checkup and paper requirements
HMO type: Prepaid health card for an emergency, out-patient, and preventive care
Price/price range: PhP1,998
Membership eligibility: no age limit
Validity: 1 year
Coverage:
- Emergency care (ER fee, professional fees, and emergency medications) for burns, animal bites, and accidental chemical poisoning
- Emergency diagnostic procedures and lab tests such as ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI worth up to PhP5,000
- Tetanus toxoid, anti-tetanus serum and active immunization for anti-rabies; ordinary casting and splint (all subject to emergency care limit)
- 100% reimbursement of professional fees and hospital bills for emergency care for non-accredited hospitals, subject to the coverage limit of PhP20,000
- Out-patient services in all MediCard free-standing clinics and UROIC
- Unlimited free consultations with primary care physicians and some specialists (general surgeon, ob/gyn, pediatrician, family medicine, general practitioner, and general internist)
- 00 flat rate for consultations with other specialists
- 30% discounts on laboratory and diagnostic tests, dental services, and surgeries at MediCard free-standing clinics
- Free dental consultations
- One-time oral prophylaxis
- Up to PhP50,000 accidental death and disability financial assistance
- Benefits can be used more than once up to the coverage limit and within 6 hours from the accident
- Discounts and freebies available in optical shops, restaurants, wellness centers, hotels, and beach resorts
Does it cover Covid-19 related cases? Yes, but as of writing, the website of MediCard is unresponsive, so you may contact them for further inquiries.
Registration: Online and personal membership application and renewal at any of MediCard free-standing clinics; without preliminary checkup and paper requirements. You can even purchase this through Shopee.
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HMO type: Prepaid health card for preventive health care
Price/price range: PhP500
Membership eligibility: No age limit
Validity: 1 year
Coverage:
- Unlimited consultations with MediCard primary care physicians, including general practitioners, internists, family doctors, pediatricians, and ob/gyn (except maternity-related)
- 00 flat rate for consultations with MediCard specialists like ENT doctors, ophthalmologists, and rehab medicine physicians
- An annual physical examination that covers a comprehensive physical exam, complete blood count (CBC), urinalysis, fecalysis, and chest X-ray
- 20% discounts on all laboratory and diagnostic procedures
Does it cover Covid-19 related cases? Yes, but as of writing, the website of MediCard is unresponsive, so you may contact them for further inquiries.
Registration: Personal membership application and renewal at any of Medi-Card free-standing clinics; without preliminary checkup and paper requirements
HMO type: Prepaid health card for emergency care
Price/price range:
- PhP2,950 to PhP4,950 (children)
- PhP1,050 to PhP1,750 (adults)
Membership eligibility:
- Children: 6 months to 17 years old
- Adults: 18 to 64 years old
Validity: 1 year
Coverage:
- Up to PhP40,000, PhP60,000, or PhP80,000 (depending on the type of card) one-time coverage for emergency care and hospitalization for viral and bacterial diseases, and injury treatment from the accident
- Up to PhP5,000 benefit for hospital confinement, professional fees, laboratory and diagnostic tests, immediate medications, and special modalities of treatment
- PhP50,000 accidental death and dismemberment benefits
- No hospital deposit required for availing
- Can be availed at more than 500 accredited hospitals nationwide excluding *6 major hospitals in Metro Manila
Does it cover Covid-19 related cases? Yes
Registration: Easy SMS and online registration; with no preliminary medical checkup required
5. PhilCare Health360
HMO type: Comprehensive prepaid healthcare plan for individuals and families
Price/price range:
- PhP2,201 to PhP16,606 (quarterly)
- PhP4,281 to PhP32,306 (semi-annual)
- PhP8,002 to PhP60,385 (annual)
Membership eligibility: 6 months to 60 years old
Validity: 1 year
Coverage:
- Out-patient care at PhilCare-owned clinics and over 400 accredited clinics nationwide
- In-patient care at over 500 hospitals nationwide including *6 major hospitals
- Emergency care (emergency room, hospitalization, and professional fee)
- Annual physical exam
- Ambulance service
- 100% reimbursement of hospitalization and professional fees at non-accredited hospitals
- Special modalities of treatment and diagnostic procedures like MRI and sleep study
- PhP100,000 term life insurance
- PhP100,000 accidental death and dismemberment benefits
Does it cover Covid-19 related cases? Yes
Registration: Processing is done online through PhilCare’s website
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HMO type: Comprehensive prepaid healthcare plan for individuals and families
Price/price range:
- PhP2,186 to PhP7,203 (quarterly)
- PhP,137 to PhP13,634 (semi-annual)
- PhP7,806 to PhP25,725 (annual)
Membership eligibility:
- Principal: 18 to 60 years old
- Dependents:
- Legal spouse from 18 to 60 years old
- Children/siblings from 90 days old to 20 years old
- Parents below 60 years old
Coverage:
- Preventive care services (immunizations, comprehensive annual physical examinations, family planning consultations, health education, counseling on diets or exercise, etc.)
- Out-patient care services (unlimited consultations and treatment, referrals to accredited specialists, laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures, 10 prenatal or postnatal consultations with accredited obstetricians)
- In-patient services (hospital confinement, ICU/CCU confinement, operating room and recovery room, professional fees, blood transfusions, dressings, casts, sutures, inhalation therapy, oxygen and its administration, etc.)
- Emergency care services (doctor and hospital services, oxygen, IV fluids, laboratory and diagnostic procedures, and other medical services related to patient’s emergency treatment)
- 100% reimbursement of professional fees and 80% hospitalization reimbursement in non-accredited hospitals
- Medical procedures such as but not limited to dialysis, angioplasty, CT scan, @D echo with Doppler, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy
- Dental care services (unlimited consultations with an accredited dentist, annual oral prophylaxis, temporary fillings, simple tooth extraction, annual dental examination, etc.)
- Financial assistance ranging from PhP5,000 to PhP20,000 in case of principal’s death or dismemberment
- Motor vehicular accident insurance
- Ambulance service
- Can be availed at all ValuCare accredited hospitals, coordinators, and clinics nationwide excluding Asian Hospital and Medical Center (one of the *6 major hospitals in the country)
Does it cover Covid-19 related cases? Yes
Registration: Online application is being filled out and processed at the ValuCare website, https://www.valucarehealth.com/.
HMO type: Comprehensive prepaid healthcare plan for individuals and families
Price/price range: PhP4,482 to PhP58,995 (depending on age and hospital type)
Membership eligibility: 15 days to 65 years old
Validity: 1 year
Coverage:
- In-patient care including hospital confinement, professional fees, ICU, operating room, recovery room, etc.
- In-patient benefits for a female insured’s newborn from 15th day old up to the policy renewal
- Emergency care including out-patient treatment, ambulance service, emergency dental services, overseas confinement, worldwide assistance, etc.
- Annual physical exam
- Accidental death coverage
- Highest maximum coverage at PhP1,500,000
- Own choice of doctor, specialist, or hospital is possible
Does it cover Covid-19 related cases? Yes
Registration: Go to Pacific Cross website at https://www.pacificcross.com/. Click and fill out the Health Application form.
Image from Freepik
HMO type: Insular Health Care offers different kinds of prepaid health cards for all the members of the family. There are prepaid cards that you can use for ER cases, and there are also some that you can avail of for medical consultation.
Price range: ER Care prepaid health cards range from Php150 to Php5,150, while MEDConsult ranges from Php2,500 to Php3,500.
Membership Eligibility:
- Kids – 1-17 years old
- Adults – 18 – 64 years old
- Seniors – 64 years old and up
Validity: 1 year
Coverage:
- For ER Care prepaid health cards:
- Doctor’s professional fee
- Laboratory and diagnostic procedures
- Emergency room care
- Regular private room accommodations
- Medicines as medically necessary in the emergency room and during confinement
- Surgery and surgeon’s fees when medically necessary
- Use of operating room, recovery room, and ICU, as medically necessary
- Special modalities of treatment as medically required in emergency room care and confinement, and subject to Php 5,000 standard limit
- 1-year access to over-the-phone/telemedicine access with MyPocketDoctor
* Coverage or amount of benefit limit depends on the type of prepaid health card purchased.
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For MEDConsult health cards:
- Up to four (4) face-to-face medical consultations to all Insular Health Care-accredited general physicians, family medicine specialists, internal medicine specialists (with subspecialties in cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, endocrinology, infectious medicine, nephrology, urology, rheumatology, oncology, hematology, and allergology), general surgeons, orthopedic doctors, ENT, and rehabilitation medicine specialists.
- One-year unlimited telemedicine access through MyPocketDoctor
- One-year unlimited dental consultations with IHC’s network of dentists and selected dental services
Does it cover Covid-19 related cases? YES
Registration: Check out their website for different products available. Upon purchase, you can register online at https://services.insularhealthcare.com.ph/.
*Cardinal Santos Medical Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center-Taguig City, St. Luke’s Medical Center-Quezon City, Makati Medical Center, Asian Hospital and Medical Center, and The Medical City
Prices and coverage of the prepaid health cards are subject to change. For more information, please contact your chosen HMO.
Sources:
DepEd PH, Grit PH, and HMOs websites
