A few months ago, my husband had to rush me to a hospital in the middle of the night because of shortness of breath. I was having allergy bouts but I ignored it since I thought I was just having ordinary cough and throat irritation. But that particular night, I found myself vomiting because my throat was too irritated and when I lied down to go to sleep, I woke up and found it very hard to breathe.
My husband and I went to Commonwealth Hospital and Medical Center ER and for 2 to 3 hours, I was checked and given medication to ease out my breathing. I felt relieved and was able to breathe and I refused to be admitted since I think I was well enough to go home. In that short time, we had to pay more than P3,000 ( for ER, for the medicine, and for the doctor who attended to me).
These are the examples of moments when you will realize how important a ready healthcare plan is, on times when you really don’t expect it, in times of emergencies. I don’t have a healthcare plan because honestly, I fear about being hospitalized so much that I refuse to think of the future. We are also in a tight financial situation where we support not only our family but our elder parents as well.
Recently, I was introduced to PhilCare ER Vantage Plus which is the exact answer to my fears and excuses. It’s being offered by PhilCare which is one of the country’s pioneer HMO company. PhilCare opened its e-Commerce site offering healthcare products in 2014 and it is the first company to offer “tingi” healthcare plans.
From purchase to activation, PhilCare plans can be accessed and processed online via your preferred gadget or computer.
ER Vantage Plus is a one-time use healthcare benefit that covers emergency care and hospitalization in 500+ PhilCare-accredited hospitals nationwide for 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.
According to PhilCare: ER Vantage plus benefit covers expense on the following:
- 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
ER Vantage Plus has 3 variants and tiered-pricing according to the age of enrollee.
| ER Vantage Plus 40 | ER Vantage Plus 60 | ER Vantage Plus 80 | |
| Benefit limit | Php 40,000 | Php 60,000 | Php 80,000 |
| Room & Board | Ward | Semi-Private | Regular Private |
| SRP for 6 mos to 17 yr-old enrolee | Php 2,950 | Php 3,950 | Php 4,950 |
| SRP for 18 to 64 yr old enrolee | Php 1,050 | Php 1,350 | Php 1,750 |
You can read more about ER Vantage Plus coverage here.
Why was I convinced to get an ER Vantage Plus?
Honestly, at first, the pessimistic side of me told me that I don’t need it but as I read about the plans, talked about it with my husband and we weighed the pros and cons, it made us realize that these healthcare plans really make sense and will be very useful in emergency cases.
Emergencies are not expected and nobody will want it to happen. But along with our prayers from God that He protect us from these situations, we also need to do something. And it’s a natural thing to do when you look at it. We eat healthily and drink vitamins to protect ourselves from getting sick. We do not expect ourselves to get sick and yet we do everything to make sure that we won’t be sick.
It’s the same thing as getting a health plan. Of course, who would want to be in an accident, right? But emergencies are like natural phenomenon which we cannot control and when it happens, you don’t want to be caught unguarded. You also don’t want your family to have a hard time finding money for your medical needs.
On our recent trip which my husband and I carefully planned and budgeted. It take us years before we go on trips like these because we are not that affluent. But family matters a lot to us and these escapades make us closer as we make memories together. And because we don’t have much, it is necessary that we have someone to rely on on times of emergencies, just like PhilCare.
Affordable
For my age, I will only have to pay P1,050 (which is only 1 food bill in a restaurant when we dine in) and it will cover me in emergency cases for 1 year with benefits up to P40,000. I don’t have to worry when something happens in the middle of the night and my family members don’t have money to pay for hospital deposits.
Easy to buy and activate
The whole process of purchasing and activating ER Vantage Plus all happens online. You can buy a plan from PhilCare’s Online Shop and pay through various electronic modes of payments: credit card, debit card, online banking or over the counter bank payments
Online shop: http://shop.philcare.com.ph/
ER Vantage Plus page: http://shop.philcare.com.ph/index.php?route=product/search&search=er%20vantage%20plus
ER Vantage Plus 80 for Adults: http://shop.philcare.com.ph/ER-vantage-plus-80-for-adults
No medical test required for enrolment eligibility
There will be no hassle of going to a clinic or hospital before you are able to purchase a plan. The plan is activated and becomes valid 7 days from registration.
Aside from moms and dads like me who work at home and couldn’t get an employee-benefit health plan, almost anyone can benefit from this sachet-type of health plan. Uber drivers particularly should have one because of job-related risk and families can also get one for their “kasambahay”.
ER Vantage Plus for Kids 6 months to 17 year old is also available for purchase and we highly consider this with the number of diseases and outbreaks happening yearly.
I am not a specialist or agent of PhilCare but it’s obvious and sensible that the company does offer something that will be very valuable in times of need: Financial assistance. I wouldn’t say peace of mind because a mother will never have peace of mind in times of medical emergencies, but financial assistance is what you won’t find in an instant in the middle of the night.
