Apples & Dumplings: healthcare

Healthcare is one the things I'm looking into investing this year. BOS and I have been looking for a HMO for our family but always putting it aside because of our busy schedule. But I think I may have found something that suits our busy schedule and for working moms and dads.

PhilCare is one of the country’s pioneering Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) companies. The company is built on a vision to allow Filipinos to enjoy better quality of life by providing them access to world-class health services. PhilCare also opened its e-commerce website in 2014 where it adapted the sachet-packaging or tingi system to making healthcare accessible to many. Today, PhilCare just made healthcare more accessible! Introducing to you, PhilCare's online-exclusive product, the ER Vantage Plus!

ER Vantage Plus is a one-time use healthcare benefit. It covers emergency care and hospitalization in over 500 PhilCare-accredited hospitals nationwide. ER Vantage Plus covers viral and bacterial illnesses, treatment of injuries resulting from accidents (except for stroke) and gives Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit of P50,000. ER Vantage Plus has 3 variants and tiered pricing according to the age of enrollee: ER Vantage Plus 40, ER Vantage Plus 60 and ER Vantage Plus 80.

ER Vantage Plus 40 gives you a one-time coverage of up to Php40,000 for emergency room care and hospitalization expense.

ER Vantage Plus 40 for Adults is for clients aging from 18 to 64 years old.

ER Vantage Plus 40 for Kids is for clients aging from 6 mos to 17 years old.

ER Vantage Plus 60 gives you a one-time coverage of up to Php60,000 or emergency room care and hospitalization expense.

ER Vantage Plus 60 for Adults is for clients aging from 18 to 64 years old.

ER Vantage Plus 60 for Kids is for clients aging from 6 mos to 17 years old.

ER Vantage Plus 80 gives you a one-time coverage of up to Php80,000 or emergency room care and hospitalization expense.

ER Vantage Plus 80 for Adults is for clients aging from 18 to 64 years old.

ER Vantage Plus 80 for Kids is for clients aging from 6 mos to 17 years old.

All of ER Vantage Plus's benefit includes:

Doctors’ fees
Laboratory and diagnostic procedures
Room and board
Medicines (except vaccines) as medically necessary during confinement, except for cases declared as non-coverable
Special modalities of treatment which are medically necessary during ER and confinement and subject to P5,000 limit
Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures as medically necessary during ER and confinement

From PhilCare's website:

By definition, emergency cases are sudden, unexpected onset of illness or injury, which at the time of contract reasonably appeared as having the potential of causing immediate disability or death or requiring the immediate alleviation of severe pain and discomfort. Emergency cases include but are not limited to the following: (a) Massive Bleeding; (b) Acute Appendicitis; (c) Fractures/multiple injuries secondary to accidents; (d) Convulsions; (e) illnesses or conditions resulting in moderate or severe dehydration such as diarrhea or fever; and (f) Syncope. Pre-existing conditions and those conditions under the general exclusions of PhilCare are not covered. Read about the ER Vantage Plus coverage here.

ER Vantage Plus is not only accessible but also friendly on the pocket. Since this is an online-exclusive product, getting an ER Vantage Plus is very easy! Just go to PhilCare's online shop (shop.philcare.com.ph) and click on your ER Vantage Plus of choice to purchase.

Payment can be made with your debit card, credit card, online banking or over-the-counter!

Once your purchase and payment is confirmed, you will receive an email from PhilCare containing the registration details (voucher number, serial number, and PIN code) and the registration link. When you have successfully registered, you will receive your ER Vantage Plus voucher with your unique certificate number, validity period and complete product details. The plan is activated and becomes valid seven (7) days from registration date. After validation, your ER Vantage Plus is ready for use. An ER Vantage Plus is valid for one year and when it expires, you can always repurchase! Also, Philheath is required for the availment of this card during hospital confinement.

With just few clicks, you're good and ready with a great healthcare plan. You can choose a plan that suits your budget and when you're plan expires, you can always maintain or upgrade your plan. For more information on ER Vantage Plus, you can check out http://shop.philcare.com.ph/product-faq! And if you're ready to get a plan, visit http://shop.philcare.com.ph/ER-vantage-plus-80-for-adults!

When you say quality healthcare, one would think of high-end hospitals with their high-end facilities and technologies. But only a few of us would be able to afford that kind of healthcare, pano na yung nasa Broad C market? And that is why I'm glad that there's now a QualiMed.

QualiMed is a network of healthcare facilities owned and operated by Mercado General Hospital Inc. (MGHI) in partnership with Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI). "Alagang Abot-Kaya" is what they promise. The healthcare facilities are intended to cater to the needs of the broad C market. And I really must day that ehy have great facilities and the rates of the services is really affordable.

Diba really really affordable? You can actually bring your yayas here for their chest x-ray and laboratories.

All QualiMed healthcare facilities have capabilities and services ranging from a multi-specialty medical clinis, an ambulatory or day surgery center, to a full-service general hospital. The Mommy Bloggers' Event that I went to was in Manila where it is a QualiMed Surgery Center. We were able to tour the place and check out the facilities available.

Eliseo Yanga III, Corporate Training Officer II, was the one who gave us the tour

This is where the tests/specimen are taken before they are sent off to the laboratory using the tube (?)

This was probably the highlight of our day. Hihi!

This was all over the place even at the canteen so no need to hurry while eating!

There was live MRI happening when we checked out the Radiology Department

More of the Radiation Department

This is the Occupational and Industrial Health Clinic

Laboratory

I was amused by his sign hehe

There was also a Food Plaza with a great selection of food. The nearby hospital didn't have anything like this. #alamna hehe

Food Plaza

After tour, we sat down for lunch while Dr. Edwin Mercado, President and CEO of MGHI gave us a more detailed talk on QualiMed and its future developments in Manila and in the province.

To give you a background on MGHI, it also owns the Daniel O. Mercado Medical Center (DMMC), a tertiary hospital in Tanuan, Batangas and the DMMC Institute of Health Sciences (DMMC-IHS), a tertiary healthcare education institution.

QualiMed aims to deliver integrated care with strong focus on primary care, a patient-base reach, with while giving appropriate, affordable and accessible healthcare.

Appropriateness. Focuses or primary and protective care provided by a competent medical team.

Affordability. Rates of their services are 30-40% lower than what is being offered in the market. (As shown above with their x-ray, ECG, etc.) They also have bundled packages for different services. Affordability is their key to achieving their goal of providing quality healthcare to the braod C market and possibly to the DE markets.

This is a sample from their Trinoma Branch (prices may subject to change ha)

Accessibility. Ease of financial and physical access. Qualimed's facilities will be built/established in ALI's mixed-use developments such as residential, office, and mall developments.