Healthcare in the Philippines: no CAK, your own policy, and PhilHealth if you want it
The Philippines is not a treaty country for healthcare: after you emigrate there is no CAK scheme, and you take out health insurance yourself. As a foreign national you can voluntarily join PhilHealth, the Philippine health insurance. According to a 2017 circular that costs ₱ 15,000 a year with an SRRV and ₱ 17,000 with an ACR I-Card. The emergency number is 911.
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The Philippines is not a treaty country for healthcare. The CAK, which arranges health insurance for pensioners in treaty countries, does not list the Philippines. So after you emigrate there is no CAK scheme, and you take out health insurance yourself, for yourself and for whoever moves with you. Have that policy start on the day your Dutch insurance stops. On top of that, as a foreign national you can voluntarily join PhilHealth, the Philippine health insurance.
What covers what?
| Scheme | For whom | What it is | What you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch basic insurance | stops after emigration | ||
| CAK scheme | only in treaty countries; the Philippines is not one | ||
| Own policy | everyone | what the policy says | premium |
| PhilHealth, voluntary | SRRV holders, and foreign nationals with an ACR I-Card | Philippine health insurance | ₱ 15,000 (≈ € 214) with an SRRV, ₱ 17,000 (≈ € 243) with an ACR I-Card, a year |
| PhilHealth through your job | foreign nationals in employment | the same | 5% of your wage, together with your employer |
Why do you arrange it yourself?
The CAK writes: if your new country of residence is not on the list, the Netherlands has made no arrangements with that country about your medical care. Then take out health insurance yourself in your country of residence, for yourself and for the family members who move with you. How to cancel your Dutch insurance without a single day uninsured is in cancelling health insurance without a gap.
The Netherlands and the Philippines do have a social security agreement, since 1 November 2002. It mentions "sickness insurance", but that is about cash benefits during sickness, not about medical care. The agreement makes sure your AOW goes with you in full. It does not pay a doctor or a hospital.
Look at three things in a policy: does it start on the day you deregister, does it cover your partner and children, and does it stay valid as you get older. With your own policy you are not dependent on what PhilHealth pays.
What is PhilHealth?
PhilHealth runs the Philippine health insurance. Under the Universal Health Care Act every Philippine citizen is insured automatically. A foreign national is not: you have to enrol yourself.
According to PhilHealth Circular 2017-0003 you can if you have an SRRV, or if you work or live there with a valid ACR I-Card, the alien registration card.
- The premium. ₱ 15,000 a year for SRRV holders, ₱ 17,000 for other foreign nationals. You pay per quarter, per half year or per year.
- The waiting period. You are entitled to cover for a hospital stay if you paid at least three months of premium in the six months before.
- What is not covered. The Z Benefit Package, the special privileges for women about to give birth, and reimbursement of hospital stays abroad.
- Your partner. A foreign national cannot be covered as a dependant of a Filipino spouse. You join as a member yourself.
- After 60. With 120 monthly contributions you can become a lifetime member. The mandatory cover for Filipino senior citizens does not apply to you.
The circular dates from 2017. We did not find a newer one, but the premium may have changed since. Check the amount with PhilHealth, or with the Philippine Retirement Authority if you have an SRRV. The PRA lists a special PhilHealth rate as a benefit of the SRRV.
What if you are employed?
If you work under a contract with a Philippine employer, you do not fall under the voluntary scheme. You and your employer together pay 5% of your monthly wage, on a wage of at least ₱ 10,000 and at most ₱ 100,000 a month. See working in the Philippines.
Which medical does your route require?
For the SRRV you hand in a medical certificate on the PRA form. It may be no more than six months old. If you have it filled in in the Netherlands, it gets an apostille. See the residence routes.
What do you do in an emergency?
The national emergency number is 911. In 2018 it replaced the old number 117. NederlandWereldwijd lists 911 for ambulance and fire brigade, and 117 for the police. Save both in your phone.
Bring medicines in their original packaging, and check whether you need a medicines certificate. See taking medicines across the border.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 1 of 5 of the journey, step 1.2: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to the Philippines or go straight to step 1.2 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- CAK — the treaty countries for healthcare; the Philippines is not among them — hetcak.nl
- Agreement Netherlands–Philippines on the export of social insurance benefits, article 2 — benefits, not care — wetten.overheid.nl
- Universal Health Care Act (RA 11223), sections 5 and 10 — who is insured automatically, and the premium for employees — lawphil.net
- PhilHealth Circular 2017-0003 — foreign nationals in PhilHealth, the premium and the conditions — philhealth.gov.ph
- Philippine Retirement Authority — the SRRV, with the medical certificate and the PhilHealth special rate — pra.gov.ph
- Executive Order 56 (2018) — 911 as the national emergency number — lawphil.net
- NederlandWereldwijd — travel advice for the Philippines, with the emergency numbers — nederlandwereldwijd.nl
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