What do you do about health care in the Philippines?

gmm567 · Post by **gmm567** » May 20th, 2009, 3:20 pm

Is it inexpensive in the Philipines or is it unaffordable?

Post by **Winston** » January 5th, 2013, 6:49 pm

You don't need health care there. Doctor visits are less than $10, and medicine is affordable. But if you need surgery, it can be expensive and run in the hundreds of dollars. However, health care quality is low. It's better for you to go to a first world Asian country if you need surgery done.

xiongmao · Post by **xiongmao** » January 7th, 2013, 2:55 pm

I've found expat health insurance for around $50 a month - that's for worldwide cover. It might be cheaper for the Philippines, but for China I've had to go for the worldwide option (including USA). That $50 has a big excess on so it won't do for minor ailments. For these you can find a local doctor and as Winston says they're really cheap for that.

Don't go to Asia without any health insurance - there are some horrible stories of Westerners getting seriously ill in Thailand etc. and not being able to afford to go home. Major hospital care is VERY expensive in Asia.

Of course if you're just there on vacation then travel insurance is dirt cheap.

E_Irizarry · Post by **E_Irizarry** » January 7th, 2013, 3:04 pm

xiongmao wrote:I've found expat health insurance for around $50 a month - that's for worldwide cover. It might be cheaper for the Philippines, but for China I've had to go for the worldwide option (including USA). That $50 has a big excess on so it won't do for minor ailments. For these you can find a local doctor and as Winston says they're really cheap for that.

Don't go to Asia without any health insurance - there are some horrible stories of Westerners getting seriously ill in Thailand etc. and not being able to afford to go home. Major hospital care is VERY expensive in Asia.

Of course if you're just there on vacation then travel insurance is dirt cheap.

I went to Thailand without any health insurance and became sick every other day.
However, immodium was the Swiss Army knife for EVERYTHIING.
If I had clymidia, put some robutussin on it.
If I had I had diarreha, put some robutussin on it.
True stories.

Twobrains · Post by **Twobrains** » January 7th, 2013, 6:34 pm

xiongmao wrote:I've found expat health insurance for around $50 a month - that's for worldwide cover. It might be cheaper for the Philippines, but for China I've had to go for the worldwide option (including USA). That $50 has a big excess on so it won't do for minor ailments. For these you can find a local doctor and as Winston says they're really cheap for that.

Don't go to Asia without any health insurance - there are some horrible stories of Westerners getting seriously ill in Thailand etc. and not being able to afford to go home. Major hospital care is VERY expensive in Asia.

Of course if you're just there on vacation then travel insurance is dirt cheap.

$50 is amazingly cheap - care to give us a link? Do you have the deal whereby for major treatment you have to be repatriated to the UK and treated on the NHS?