whyretiretothephilippines.com
Why Retire to the Philippines
Why, you say?
Because everything we need for our retirement is over there!
• the cost of living is affordable
• the climate is mild (not too hot/not too cold)
• living is “safe and secure” (like anywhere in the world)
• the people speak English, no need to learn a new language
• people are friendly, hospitable, warm and somewhat “Westernized”
• the main religion is Christian, so there are no dietary laws to observe
• the country is lovely and the night life in the city is alive
• so many more other reasons!This little country seems to be the best place for retirement!
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COST OF MEDICAL PROCEDURES
I am getting so excited about my research; I am getting more and more good information so that I am more ready and prepared when we retire in the Philippines!
All data and information courtesy of health-tourism.com:
Top Hospitals for Medical Tourism in the Philippines
Philippine Heart Center – Quezon City
Established in 1975, the Philippine Heart Center is regarded as one of the most active cardiac care treatment and surgery center in the Asia-Pacific region. Located in a 2.7-hectare facility with two hospitals and a medical arts building, the institution offers various cardiac, cardiopulmonary and cardiovascular procedures for both local and international patients.
Asian Hospital and Medical Center – Muntinlupa City
Established only in 2002, the Asian Hospital is the first major private health facility in the south of Metro Manila. Success came quickly, as in 2005 it received an award as the Most Outstanding Modern Hospital. It offers world-class treatments and facilities catering to both local and international patients seeking various health services including Cardiology, Cosmetic Surgery, Dermatology, Executive Health Screening, Oncology, General Surgery and Urology among others.
St. Luke’s Medical Center – Quezon City / Fort Bonifacio Global City
The second Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited health facility in the Philippines, St. Luke’s Medical Center is the premiere health center in the Philippines that offers 21st-century medical facilities and services using the most advanced technologies. Established in 1903, the hospital has 9 institutes, 13 departments and a total of 19 health centers offering various medical treatments and procedures. These cater for both local and international clientele.
Manila Doctors Hospital – Ermita, Manila
Established in 1956, this ISO-certified health facility is a private tertiary hospital that offers various health and medical services catering to local and international patients. Among the services offered are Industrial Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, Radiology, Rehabilitation Medicine, Special Diagnostics, Laboratory Medicine and other Clinical services.
Common Treatments Done by Medical Tourists in the Philippines
Photo from: http://justorthopedic.com/education/inside-the-orthopedic-surgeons-operating-room/
Foreign nationals choose the Philippines as their medical tourism destination for low cost aesthetic and dental procedures. They expect to enjoy the care and compassion that they are familiar with in US, Australian or Middle Eastern hospitals, which are staffed with Western-trained Filipino nurses and physicians.
Thousands of Filipino expats visit the Philippines for medical care as well, usually combining the medical procedure with their family visit. Source
Foreign medical tourists to the Philippines usually go for aesthetic and uncomplicated procedures, whilst Filipino expats return home for all types of medical procedures.
The following procedures are more common among medical tourists:
- Aesthetic procedures
- Cosmetic surgery
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Eye Surgery & Ophthalmology
- Fertility Treatment
- General Surgery
- Hair Transplantation
- Rehabilitation
- Weight Loss Surgery
- Stem Cell Therapy
Cost of Medical Treatments in the Philippines
The following are cost comparisons between medical procedures in the Philippines and equivalent procedures in the United States:
Malpractice and Liability Laws in the Philippines
In the Philippines, there are adequate provisions in the Philippine Revised Penal Code for medical malpractice that would protect patients against medical negligence and incompetence from erring or criminal physicians. On top of this, the Republic Act #9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 has also been passed by Congress to guarantee the delivery of basic health services through adequate and competent nursing personnel in the country.
Significant awards have been awarded to victims of confirmed medical malpractice cases as well as fines meted out by the Department of Health on erring physicians. However, according to the Philippine Medical Association in a Medical Malpractice Workshop conducted in 2005, such medical malpractice incidence account only for a mere 0.00003% of the total number of affected patients.
The Philippine Congress and the Senate continue to file bills related to medical malpractice and healthcare liability, although the medical sector continues to oppose the passing of these resolutions, stating that these are detrimental to the healthcare industry in the country.
Why should we go to the Philippines for our medical procedures?
PROS
- Prices
- Prices of medical procedures are very cost-effective.
- Well trained medical staff
- Medical staffs are trained to international standards, and many doctors are trained in Western countries.
- Language
- English is widely spoken among the medical staff, and by the general public.
- Several top quality hospitals
- Hospitals catering to health tourism have state-of-the-art facilities.
- Low-cost accommodations
- 5-star hotel room accommodation are available at very affordable prices
- A vacation destination
- There are several choice vacation destinations in the Philippines that are perfect for fast and relaxing recovery after a medical procedure
CONS
- General quality of healthcare not as high as other destinations
- There are clear differences in the levels of quality and offered healthcare services between private health institutions and public health providers. Good medical tourism packages are offered mostly in private institutions and are not available in public hospitals or clinics.
- Long flights; flight times from the US, Canada, and Europe are long and may not be conducive for patients with certain medical conditions
Statistics of Medical Tourism in the Philippines
Photo from: https://www.slideshare.net/renubresearch/asia-medical-tourism-analysis-and-forecast-to-2015-29682836
There were approximately 250,000 non-resident patients (foreign nationals and Filipino expats) who traveled to the Philippines for various medical services in 2006. And it has been calculated that at least 100,000 foreign patients visit the country each year for medical care. This has grown extensively each year and in the first quarter of 2009, approximately 200,000 medical tourists have been documented as visiting the Philippines for medical care, with figures expected to reach 600,000 by the end of the year.
The vast Filipino Diaspora who settled overseas return to the Philippines not only for family visits or vacations but also to undergo minor medical, dental and other health procedures not covered by their medical insurance in their countries of origin. In 2007 alone 180,000 Filipino expatriates visited the country for such purposes and this is expected to increase in the coming years.
God forbid that we should need any of these procedures, but if we do, we now know where to go! And when we are already retiring over there, it would be a big help to us if we did not have to return home to have the procedure when we are already there in the Philippines where it is also done!
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