5 Best HMO Products & Services in the Philippines for Optimal Healthcare

Mommies, with increasing rates of COVID19 variant cases, we know you’re definitely worried. Aside from following the health protocols in private and public spaces, we know you want to plan ahead to make sure your little ones are safe. That’s why you’ll want to look at healthcare plans for your family. Luckily, we’ve got a list of the best HMO products and services in the Philippines just for you!

What is an HMO?

But first, let’s start with the basics. HMO or Health Maintenance Organization are “organizations that offer a range of specified health services to plan members at a fixed prepaid premium", as per the Republic Act 7875 (National Health Insurance Act in 1995).

Why should you get a prepaid HMO plan?

If your healthcare is not covered by your company, chances are you will have to shell out a large amount in case of injury or illness. And because of the pandemic, everyone is more worried about contracting a sudden illness. However, if you have a prepaid premium HMO plan, you can avail of health services at a better rate. You can save on hospitalization, consultation, and emergency treatment if you have an HMO. Sounds good, right?

How to Choose the Best Prepaid HMO Product?

With so many HMO plans, services, and products available, you might be wondering “how do I choose the best one for my family?" Don’t worry, we’re here to help you! Here are some things you should consider:

• Health services offered: Assess if the healthcare services offered are relevant to your family’s needs. Remember to take into account any pre-existing conditions any of your family members have, as most healthcare services have caveats about pre-existing conditions.
• Location: Accessibility of location is another crucial factor to consider, particularly in case of emergencies—especially in the Philippines where traffic is a nightmare. Try to choose an HMO plan that is accepted by hospitals near your home.
• Price: Find a plan that fits your budget while still suitable for your family’s needs.
• Reputation of HMO: Finally, the HMO you choose should be reputable with financial stability in order to fund your medical bills. Tip: Read customer reviews to get a better picture of their reputation and customer service.

Best Prepaid HMO in the Philippines

Keeping all that in mind, here are 5 prepaid plans that we recommend.

PhilCare ER Vantage Plus Review

Best for emergency coverage

As a mom, you’d love to have the convenience of a health care service that can accommodate the whole family. That’s why PhilCare is a great option, as it offers a range of plans to accommodate everyone, from your little ones to their grandparents. As one of the Philippines’ leading pioneer HMOs, PhilCare takes pride in providing top-class medical care and service to members.

PhilCare’s ER Vantage Plus plan is a single-use health plan that helps you and your family handle any financial worries in times of emergency. You can get outpatient emergency care for accident-related injuries and bacterial and viral illnesses in over 500 PhilCare accredited hospitals nationwide. With ER Vantage Plus, your hospitalization fees can be covered up to PHP80,000. What’s more, you can start using the benefits of the plan 7 days after you activate it.

There are 3 variants of the plan for kids and adults: ER Vantage Plus 40 (ward open), ER Vantage Plus 60 (semi-private), and ER Vantage Plus 80 (regular private), which offer the various rooms at different premiums.

Plan validity: 1 year upon activation date

Age Eligibility:

• ER Vantage Plus Kids: 6 months to 17 years old
• ER Vantage Plus Adults: 18 to 65 years old

Annual Premium: 

• a ER Vantage Plus Kids 40 SRP: PHP 2,950
• ER Vantage Plus Kids 60 SRP 3,950
• a ER Vantage Plus Kids 80 SRP 4,950
• ER Vantage Plus Adults 40 SRP 1,050
• a ER Vantage Pus Adults 60 SRP 1,350
• ER Vantage Plus Adults 80 SRP 1,750

PhilCare DigiMed Review

Best digitized service

Going out during this pandemic is a challenge, even if it’s for essential consultations like your kid’s doctor’s appointments. Aside from the usual struggles of getting your little ones ready, getting to your destination, you’ll also have to take COVID-19 precautions for yourself and your kids.

PhilCare aims to make medical treatment accessible and convenient for everyone. And their DigiMed online consultation service through the HeyPhil app is definitely convenient. Mommies, this means that you don’t have to travel with the kids to a physical facility for simple appointments. Consult your doctor from the comfort of your own home!

You can get a single or unlimited number of teleconsultations with your physician depending on the type of plan. If you opt for DigiMed Consult Plus, you’ll receive a single-use video consultation plan with your doctor. These consultations are done via the Members’ Gateway at the PhilCare website. DigiMed is available for 1-year-olds and up and benefits begin from the day of activation.

Health Plan validity: 1 year upon activation date

Age Eligibility: 1 year and above

Prices: 

• DigiMed Consult
  • Single use: PHP 450
  • Unlimited use: PHP 999
• DigiMed Consult Plus: PHP 550

PhilCare Mind Care Review

Best mental health service

As much as we like to say “new normal", being in various levels of lockdown for almost two years is not normal, especially when we’ve lived our whole lives used to freedom of movement and various social interactions. Inevitably, this will affect our mental health. So if you’re noticing changes in your or your family’s mental health, it’s best to get a consultation.

PhilCare recognizes the importance of taking care of mental health in uncertain times. For all things related to mental health, they have options with their Mind Care plans. If you’ve been feeling like your mental health has taken a toll, it’s easy to get a mental health screening survey and access to your results with a Mind Care Plan. You can also get one virtual counseling session on the HeyPhil App.

Additionally, you can upgrade your plan to Mind Care Pro or Mind Care Plus. Mind Care Pro offers a 50-minute counseling session with a PhilCare psychologist as well as a consultation with a DigiMed Plus specialist, which is great value for your money.

On the other hand, Mind Care Plus provides one 50-minute tele-med session with a psychiatrist via the PhilCare Member Gateway on PhilCare’s website. At the same time, MindCare Plus offers online consultations for cases not needing urgent care like schizophrenia, PSTD, delusional disorder, and more.

Pre-existing conditions are covered with a one-time health consultation with a designated mental health expert. All Mind Care health plans are single-use and only available for members aged 18 to 65 years old.

Age Eligibility: 18 to 65 years old

Prices:

• MindCare: PHP 1,000
• for MindCare Pro: PHP 2,200
• MindCare Plus: PHP 3,000

MediCard Health Check Review

Best budget-friendly plan

If you’re on a tight budget, you can make the most out of it with MediCard Health Check. At only PHP 500 per year, members can receive an unlimited number of out-patient consultations with select specialists. If you need to consult with a general practitioner, family medicine physician, internal medicine physician, and a gynecologist (except for maternity-related consultations), you can turn to this budget-friendly plan. Most importantly, they have pediatricians available for consultation.

Apart from that, the plan includes an annual physical examination and members get a 20% discount on labs and tests. However, MediCard Health Check is only meant for checkups to detect warning signs of illness or injury. Other services have to be purchased to cover any additional needs. So if you’re looking for a low-cost convenient plan to cover only the basics, this is a good choice.

Age Eligibility: N/A

Annual Premium: PHP 500

Pacific Cross Select Review

Best for travel

Travelling often? To keep your mind at ease in case of accidents, you can try Pacific Cross Select. Its list of benefits includes basic hospital, critical care, surgical, and emergency benefits. Additionally, travel benefits are included in the core benefits and it covers incidents like issues with baggage arrival, overseas theft, and flight delays at 80% of the eligible claimed amount.

You can choose from 2 schemes: Select Plus and Select Standard. Select Plus provides additional protection at a slightly higher price. Apart from the type of scheme, prices vary according to the ward type and age group, with the prices increasing the older the patient is.

Age Eligibility: 0 to 65 years old

Annual Premium: PHP 5,227 - 62,193

Price Comparison Table

To sum up, here is a table depicting the various plans and the prices.

Note: Each item and price is up to date as of publication, however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.

We hope you have found this article useful in your search for the best health insurance plan for you and your family. We wish you the best of health in 2022!