Affordable Healthcare: Have You Checked Out These Prepaid Health Cards Yet?

When sickness catches your family unguarded – that is, you don’t have enough emergency funds or you don’t have a health card – your financial stress could take away your focus on taking care of yourself or your sick family member.

A comprehensive health care plan is one of the best financial shields against unexpected illnesses, but just in case your budget doesn’t allow you to avail of it yet, there are prepaid Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) that you can avail for yourself and your dependents. Let’s look at your options in this article.

Affordable Healthcare: Have You Checked Out These Prepaid Health Cards Yet?

Why should you consider getting prepaid health cards?

They are easy on the pocket. Believe it or not, there’s a prepaid health card available for less than a thousand pesos. This is encouraging since you can easily exchange a few online shopping spree for a health care coverage that suits your need. This one-time payment is usually good for one year, helping you keep track of when exactly you need to purchase your next prepaid health card.

They can be purchased online. Thanks to technology, even your prepaid health cards are accessible through the HMO’s official website and e-commerce platforms here in the Philippines. You just need your debit or credit card to make the purchase, and there’s no need to queue in physical offices just to make the purchase. Instructions on how to activate the card and how to get your digital copy of the card are also accessible through the website.

They don't require medical exams. A comprehensive health care plan has a wide range of perks, but its prepaid counterpart has its own in the form of not having a medical exam requirement. There are also no preliminary checkups and documents to be forwarded beforehand. Anyone can avail of a prepaid health card for as long as the online forms are filled out, and online payment is made.

Which prepaid health cards should you consider?

Maxicare Maxicare offers three prepaid health cards to cater to your different needs:

  • Maxicare LifesavER (₱2,299). Their most affordable one is for outpatient emergencies with up to ₱25,000 coverage. Family members ages 15 days old to 65 years old are eligible for this card. Some of your benefits for this card include doctor’s services, emergency room fees, and emergency medicines for immediate relief, but not including take-home medications. This card is for one-time use only, but you may avail of another card for use.
  • Maxicare LifesavER+ (₱6,999). Although more than double the price compared with the previous one, this prepaid health card is most useful for emergency leading to confinement, and teleconsultation. It also has a bigger coverage of up to ₱50,000. Members’ eligibility in terms of age is the same as that of Maxicare LifesavER’s. A benefit you can get from this card which is not in the LifesavER is the “Global Emergency Assistance Services with Assist America” if you are “traveling more than 150km from home, or in a foreign country, for up to 90 days.” This card is also for one-time use, but you may avail of another one right after usage.
  • Maxicare PRIMA Gold (₱16,888). This card may be availed for any member of the family, including newborns and seniors. As a card that provides access to unlimited healthcare, the cardholder can enjoy outpatient consultations and laboratories in all Maxicare Primary Clinics. It also has an emergency care coverage for up to ₱20,000.

Learn more about these cards’ full coverage and benefits on their website.

Medicard There are four prepaid cards from Medicard for you and your family:

  • MediCard Health Plus (₱1,545). If you need unlimited consultations with Internists, Pediatricians, Gynecologists, and more, this card is for you. You may also avail of an annual physical exam for work or for personal reference with this card. On top of these, you get 20% off on laboratory and diagnostic tests, and one-time free oral prophylaxis with MediCard dentists – such a deal for the very affordable price!
  • RxER (₱2,378). For this amount, you get ₱20,000 limit for emergency, preventive and outpatient care, which already includes ER free, professional fees, emergency medications, and trauma cases within 6 hours from the time of the incident. You also don’t have to worry about emergency diagnostic procedures and lab tests which are covered by this card – ultrasound, CT scan and MRI up to P5,000.
  • My MediCard (₱3,600). Should you need unlimited consultations with Family Medicine Physicians, Internal Medicine Physicians, Cardiologists, Endocrinologists, Pulmonologists, Gastroenterologists and Dentists, getting this card is the right one for you. This will be a relief knowing that you don’t have to regularly set aside a specific amount for consultations. You will also be able to avail of one-time oral prophylaxis from MediCard-accredited dental clinics using this card.
  • MediCard Outpatient Plus (₱6,990). There’s a card available for unlimited consultations with hand picked doctors and emergency care benefit for up to ₱30,000! With MediCard Outpatient Plus, you can have unlimited consultations with hand picked doctors for routine check-ups, and you may also have access to annual physical exam, and dental and emergency benefits.

Visit their website to learn about your full benefits for every card.

MediCare

MediCare offers two prepaid health cards that you can choose from:

  • ER Guard (₱970). If you’re looking for a more affordable health card for emergencies with up to ₱20,000 emergency room coverage and physician’s services, MediCare’s ER Guard is the one. You or your family member must be 15 days to 60 years old to avail of the card.
  • ER Guard Plus (₱3,315). Still easy on the pocket, the ER Guard Plus will provide you up to ₱50,000 emergency room coverage and physician’s services, including room and Board (ward) accommodation in case of confinement due to emergency care. This covers the use of ICU, operating room, recovery and isolation rooms.

If you want to see the full range of your benefits, visit their website.

PhilCare

PhilCare offers multiple one-time payment cards to suit your varied needs:

  • Dengue RX Plus (₱299 for adults, ₱799 for kids, ₱1,999 for family of four). Each of the cards cover up to ₱30,000 for hospitalization due to dengue. This covers lab and diagnostic procedures set by the Department of Health for dengue cases, and includes room and board according to your preference, doctors’ fees, and medical supplies and medications. This is highly recommended if you live in dengue-prone areas or in an area with a state of calamity due to dengue.
  • ER Shield (₱800). For this amount, you get up to ₱50,000 for emergency care services for viral and bacterial illnesses. Its age eligibility ranges from 6 months to 65 years old. This card  also covers treatment of injuries from accidents, except for strokes, in designated PhilCare-accredited hospitals.
  • ER Vantage Plus 80 (₱4,950 for kids ages 6 months to 17 years, and ₱1,750 for adults ages 18 to 65 years). With an ₱80,000 coverage, this card is a huge help for your family should you need to use it. Among the benefits you’ll get is a room and board in a regular private room, doctors’ fees, lab and diagnostics procedures.  

To explore more options for PhilCare’s prepaid health cards, visit their website.

iCare

iCare or Insular Health Care offers the following cards for your family:

  • ER Care All In (₱1,350 to ₱7,150). This card offers a huge coverage of up to ₱100,000 for ER care, doctors’ fees, laboratory, and confinement. If the cardholder is an adult, he or she gets a ₱1,000 hospital allowance when confined. If the cardholder is a kid, he or she gets one-year unlimited access to remote medical consultation with this card. You may customize your health plan according to age bracket, benefit limit, and access to Top 6 hospitals in Metro Manila using this calculator.

 

Are you already eyeing to get any of the prepaid cards we listed above? Which ones do you personally recommend? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!

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