Hi, Health Coverage for Expats in Cebu

@uhrigg

I am new here and have no clue what I am doing

That's what concerns me. Presumably you took out travel insurance before leaving the States?

Welcome! None of us had a clue when we first got here, lol.

You can use travel insurance for short trips (under 90 days)  and pay out of pocket for longer trips.  Keep your US health insurance. Most doctor's appointments here are really cheap ($20-50 at most). I had a knee MRI and it was 15K pesos - 1/10 of what it would have been in the States. For anything serious - off to Thailand or Malaysia for better quality care/facilities, or back to the States.

There are international firms that offer health insurance, ie. Pacific Cross, but I believe they all operate on a reimbursement basis.

@pnwcyclist

There are international firms that offer health insurance, ie. Pacific Cross, but I believe they all operate on a reimbursement basis.

Which is rather important because the hospital wants payment when patient is discharged and reimbursement will take longer. That means you need self-insurance to cover the bill for which you hope to later be reimbursed.