Philippines Medical Insurance News

The Philippines has never been a country renowned for the state of its healthcare system, rather it is better known for the large number of tourists it attracts on an ever increasing annual basis. However, this may soon change. With many South East Asian countries playing the medical tourism game the Philippines has decided that it needs to spruce up its healthcare services for Filipino nationals before it targets the lucrative overseas market.

In a step that is very much akin to developments in the USA, Filipino President Arroyo has set aside P3.5 Billion (approximately US$77 million) for the revitalization of the nations healthcare services. With a goal to providing approximately 23.5 million poor Filipinos with quality healthcare the National Insurance Health Program was slated to begin with the country's 2008 budget.

The Philippines has a history of unsuccessfully spending large amount of money on public welfare projects, however this time there could actually be a difference. The government is planning on shaping up the medical systems that focus on Filipino nationals and then using any excess revenue towards luring foreigners to Philippine hospitals for medical treatment.

The cost of healthcare in many western countries has risen dramatically in recent years and because of this, countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia have all seen large numbers of foreign nationals visiting for the sole purpose of receiving low cost, high quality healthcare. The Philippines however, has had to struggle with an ever widening wealth gap and a myriad of infectious diseases that are indigenous to the archipelago. These factors have combined to slow the growth of the country's healthcare system and stifle the ability of hospitals and clinics to retain their qualified staff as Filipino doctors and nurses are frequently being lured away from the country with promises of much higher contracts overseas.

In addition to this there are a number of other factors that have stunted the growth of the Filipino medical system including the government's inability to successfully regulate the privatization of many hospitals and medical clinics. This has led to a large amount of regulatory confusion and has scared a number of potential foreign investors away from the market. To add to the nation’s ever increasing list of problems is the fact that the World Health Organization has cited the Philippines as being one of the world's illegal organ trafficking hotspots.

This has not improved the already sordid reputation of the Philippines and its healthcare services. However, there is hope. With the new reforms proposed by the Philippine government in regards to creating quality healthcare for even the poorest of its citizens the country has started to move in the direction of positive reforms for healthcare. Across the board there is room for improvement, and the confusion that is inherent in the nation’s healthcare system can only serve to hinder the implementations of any further reforms.

By creating clear cut channels of communications and providing a higher standard of care than was previously available the Philippines will, in a number of years, be able to compete with the rest of South East Asia for market share in the medical tourism industry. Currently what this means, for expatriates visiting and living in the country, is that a high quality Philippines expat health insurance plan is a necessary part of life when living in the Philippines, because without it you may get sucked into the chaotic mess that is the Filipino healthcare system.

For more information about Philippines expat health insurance, the international health insurance plans that we can offer in the Philippines, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.

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