Before you start

Employment with a Philippine employer
PhilHealth number
HMO enrolment through your employer

Step-by-step

1
Get enrolled in PhilHealth
Mandatory for employees, including foreign nationals. Your employer registers you and contributions are shared between you and them.
Via employerWho: Your employer
2
Enrol in your employer's HMO
Maxicare, Intellicare and Medicard are the common providers. This is what actually pays for your care, so check the coverage limit and the accredited hospital list.
Via employerWho: You
3
Identify your hospitals in advance
St. Luke's, Makati Medical Center and The Medical City are the leading private hospitals. Confirm which are in your HMO network before you need one.
In personWho: You
4
Consider international cover for serious cases
HMO annual limits can be exhausted quickly by a major event. Expatriates on longer assignments often carry supplementary international cover with evacuation.
OnlineWho: You
5
Keep vaccinations and a travel kit current
Dengue is endemic and mosquito-borne illness is a genuine consideration, particularly in the rainy season. There is no vaccine you can rely on — bite prevention is the control.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

PhilHealth number
HMO card
Passport and ACR I-Card
Vaccination records

Things most newcomers don’t know

PhilHealth is a subsidy, not insurance — the HMO is what matters.

Newcomers see mandatory national health insurance and assume they're covered. PhilHealth offsets a portion of a hospital bill; it does not function as comprehensive cover. The HMO your employer provides is the real policy, and its limit is the number to check.

Source: PhilHealth benefit structure

HMO annual limits are the constraint, not the network.

A single serious admission at a top private hospital can approach or exceed a standard HMO's annual cap. If your package has a modest limit, supplementary cover is a rational purchase rather than a precaution.

Source: Philippine HMO market structure

Manila's private hospitals are excellent and its public ones are strained.

The gap between the two systems is wider here than in most cities on this list. Knowing which private hospital your HMO admits you to — before an emergency — is genuinely important.

Source: community-reported, widely corroborated

Dengue is a real, recurring risk, not a traveller's footnote.

It's endemic and seasonal, with outbreaks in the rainy months. Repellent, screens and eliminating standing water around your building are the practical controls, and locals take them seriously.

Source: Philippine Department of Health advisories

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating PhilHealth as sufficient cover.
Not knowing your HMO's annual limit or accredited hospitals until you need them.
Skipping supplementary cover on a long assignment with a modest HMO cap.
Underestimating mosquito-borne illness in the rainy season.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.