Best HMO and Health Insurance for Freelancers in the Philippines

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While company employees may get HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) benefits through work, freelancers often need to choose and pay for coverage themselves, which means sifting through popular providers for HMO and medical insurance, based on your preferences and budget.

This guide walks through some options for the best HMO or insurance, depending on your budget, location, hospital network, health needs, and any pre-existing conditions. We'll also introduce the Wise account, a handy companion to make your money go further with low, transparent fees.

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HMO vs health insurance: what’s the difference?

Before comparing providers, it helps to know what type of healthcare cover you’re looking at. HMOs, prepaid health cards, medical insurance and critical illness insurance can all help with healthcare costs, but they work differently.

Choosing the right type of health cover depends on your needs and personal situation. Here’s a quick comparison of key features:

Best HMO for freelancers in the Philippines: quick comparison

Here’s a head-to-head comparison of some options for the best HMO for freelancers, as well as alternative freelancer health insurance options from providers with insurance and prepaid plans.

*Details correct at time of research - 12th May 2026

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iCare

Healthcare type: HMO, including prepaid HMO
May suit freelancers who: Need access to nationwide top 6 hospitals with relatively low and controlled plan costs

iCare has HMO and prepaid plans for freelancers and self-employed people¹¹ which are available by individual quotation. In-patient and emergency care is available to agreed limits based on plan, and out-patient support can include preventative care. Cover for dental care is optional.

Key features
Coverage limit: Cover depends on plan and treatment type
Network: Extensive network of nationwide accredited hospitals, clinics, and doctors
Pre-existing conditions: Not covered in 1st year, then subject to assessment
Payment terms: Selected by client on getting a quotation
Claims or access: Get a letter of authorisation in advance if possible, or pay out of pocket and submit claim within 60 days
Exclusions: Non-emergency out-of-network treatment, psychiatric care, additions and other permanent exclusions apply

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Maxicare Healthcare Corporation

Healthcare type: HMO, including prepaid HMO
May suit freelancers who: Want access to a huge provider network, plus telehealth solutions

Maxicare individual and family plans¹² in the Philippines - including prepaid solutions - can be a good fit for freelancers. These plans include 3 different levels of benefits and give access to a broad provider network, including specialists and hospitals nationwide.

Key features
Coverage limit: Cover depends on plan and treatment type - emergency care in non-affiliated hospitals may have reimbursement limits of 80% or 30,000 PHP
Network: 20,000 affiliated doctors, 1,300 hospitals and clinics, 700 dental clinics, 140 rehabilitation, dialysis, and eye centers
Pre-existing conditions: May be excluded, depending on nature of condition - check with your specific policy
Payment terms: Selected by client on getting a quotation
Claims or access: Pay and reclaim using the online and mail in process
Exclusions: Exclusions detailed on your specific plan

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MediCard Philippines

Healthcare type: Prepaid health card
May suit freelancers who: Want upfront payments for standard care, emergencies and specialist services

MediCard Philippines has a range of prepaid health cards¹³, including emergency care access, Standard cards covering emergency care, outpatient and dental, and a selection of other specialist cards which allow for prepayment and loading for accessing and financing future healthcare needs.

Key features
Coverage limit: Varies depending on the card selected
Network: Broad network, with search tools online to help you locate the best service for your needs
Pre-existing conditions: Varies depending on the card selected
Payment terms: Pay upfront
Claims or access: Where needed, pay upfront and reclaim within 30 days
Exclusions: Varies depending on the card selected

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PhilCare

Healthcare type: Prepaid cards and health plans, which can include global assistance
May suit freelancers who: Travel and need combined local and overseas health support

PhilCare offers prepaid services¹⁴ such as health cards for emergencies, specific conditions like dengue, and medical checkups, as well as PhilCare health programs¹⁵ which are broad and ongoing plans. Health programs may also offer global support depending on the specific product selection.

Key features
Coverage limit: Varies depending on the card or plan selected
Network: 1,600+ hospitals and clinics, 48,000 doctors, 2 PhilCare Medihubs
Pre-existing conditions: May be covered on some health plans - check your prepaid or ongoing plan details carefully
Payment terms: Varies depending on the card or plan selected
Claims or access: Emergency plans and healthcare may support treatment in many hospitals, prepaid consultation plans may limit access to in-network locations
Exclusions: Varies depending on the card or plan selected

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Pacific Cross Healthcare

Healthcare type: Comprehensive ongoing insurance plans or prepaid cards
May suit freelancers who: Need comprehensive insurance - or prepaid solutions for specific issues, including prescription meds

Pacific Cross offers ongoing medical plans¹⁶, including their flagship Blue Royale plan with coverage up to 2 million USD yearly, including medical and travel insurance. There are also Pacific Cross prepaid medical packages¹⁷, which are lower-cost solutions for specific conditions or care needs.

Key features
Coverage limit: Varies depending on the card or plan selected
Network: Large network of hospitals and clinicians, with access depending on plan type
Pre-existing conditions: Varies depending on the card or plan selected
Payment terms: Plans are usually ongoing, while prepaid requires upfront payment for niche services
Claims or access: Depend on plan - some allow you to select your provider freely with no need to pay on treatment, others require you to pay and reclaim
Exclusions: Varies depending on the card or plan selected

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ValuCare

Healthcare type: HMO
May suit freelancers who: Require access to a large network with good digital tools for making claims and getting support

ValuCare has individual and family plans which may suit freelancers in the Philippines looking for a low-cost HMO. Plans vary and are offered on an individual quotation basis.

Key features
Coverage limit: Cover depends on plan and treatment type - emergency care in non-affiliated hospitals may have reimbursement limits of 30,000 PHP
Network: 1,900+ hospital and clinics, 23,000+ physicians
Pre-existing conditions: Depending on plan may not be covered in 1st year, then subject to assessment
Payment terms: Selected by client on getting a quotation
Claims or access: Get a letter of authorisation in advance if possible, or pay out of pocket and submit claim
Exclusions: See your own individual quote to check exclusions, which vary based on plan

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AXA Health Care Access and AXA Global Health Access

Healthcare type: Healthcare plan - local plan includes HMO-like benefits
May suit freelancers who: Want very comprehensive global cover from a premium provider

The AXA Health Care Access plan offers health care coverage within the Philippines for people with or without an underlying HMO. There’s also the comprehensive AXA Global Health Access plan, which includes provision for international treatment as needed.

Key features
Coverage limit: Headline cover of 5 million PHP for AXA Health Care Access and 17.5 million PHP for AXA Global Health Access
Network: Large network within the Philippines, with some global cover on the Global Health Plan
Pre-existing conditions: Depends on plan selected
Payment terms: Depends on plan selected
Claims or access: Cashless billing in many network locations, or pay and reclaim if needed
Exclusions: Depends on plan selected

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AIA Critical Protect 100 and Max Protect

Healthcare type: Health plans, which can include life insurance
May suit freelancers who: Prefer to tailor their health plan with optional riders, life insurance and recovery payouts

The AIA Critical Protect 100 offers cover for 100 illnesses up to the age of 100, while the Max Protect plan offers enhanced cover as well as life insurance to pay out if you die. Optional riders include recovery payments, which may suit freelancers who can not work for a time due to illness or injury.

Key features
Coverage limit: Plans - including cover limits - are customized to individual needs
Network: May vary depending on plan - large network of providers is available in the Philippines
Pre-existing conditions: May vary depending on plan
Payment terms: Set upon signup
Claims or access: Pay and reclaim digitally
Exclusions: May vary depending on plan

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How to compare freelancer health insurance options

The right freelancer health insurance options for you will depend on the priorities you have.

An HMO or prepaid plan might work for you if you need managed healthcare from specific doctors, hospitals and providers only with relatively low costs.

Or if you want a more comprehensive solution, you might decide to look at health insurance plans which have ongoing fees and may allow you to select the hospital or provider you prefer to use rather than sticking in the network. Top end plans even offer life insurance for full peace of mind.

To help you select the right plan for you, consider the following:

• Upfront versus ongoing costs - prepaid plans have an upfront cost, while HMOs and insurance plans may have ongoing fees
• Coverage types - plans and prepaid cards may offer niche services only - such as dengue care - or cover everything from annual medicals to travel insurance
• Limitations - it’s common to find caps on reimbursement amounts based on in-patient and emergency needs, as well as exclusions for some treatment types
• Riders and extras - you might be able to custom-make a plan using riders and additional coverage areas for an extra fee

Receiving your freelancer payments with Wise

Many freelancers in the Philippines work with international clients and receive payments in foreign currencies. If you’re getting paid from overseas, exchange rates and transfer fees can affect how much money you actually receive.

With Wise, you can receive money from abroad and convert it to PHP with low, transparent fees and the mid-market exchange rate.

Did you know that over 76%* of Filipinos cite low and transparent fees as an important factor when receiving money from abroad? With Wise, that's exactly what you're getting - all you need to get started is to sign up for a free Wise account, and you'll be able to manage your money with just a few taps of your phone.

You'll have access to 8+ local account details for major currencies including PHP, USD, GBP, AUD, and more, allowing you to receive money directly, in a cheap and convenient manner. After getting your money, you can easily convert it to 40+ currencies, with low fees, and the mid-market rate - also known as the rate you see on Google. This includes exchanging to PHP with a one-time conversion fee from 0.57% that's shown upfront, and no markups or additional fees.

Get paid and move your funds to your local bank account in PHP in a cheap and convenient manner with Wise to stretch every peso.

*Disclaimer: The percentage figure mentioned above is based on an internal survey conducted by Wise in April, 2024

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Sources:

1. iCare
2. Maxicare Healthcare Corporation
3. MediCard Philippines
4. PhilCare
5. Pacific Cross Healthcare
6. ValuCare
7. AXA Health Care Access
8. AXA Global Health Access
9. AIA Critical Protect 100
10. AIA Max Protect
11. iCare individual plan
12. Maxicare My Maxicare individual plan
13. MediCard Individuals - pricing
14. PhilCare prepaid services
15. PhilCare health programs
16. Pacific Cross medical plans
17. Pacific Cross prepaid medical