It’s January once again and it’s time to renew our Medicare plan. Here in the Philippines, what we have is MEDICard. My hubby has a plan provided by his company. Me and my son, Z, are his dependent and we have been enjoying the benefits for five years now. However, last December I gave birth to our second son. I asked my husband to enroll our newborn baby as soon as possible so he will also be covered. It turned out MEDICard will only cover babies that are three months and up or “Legitimate and or legally adopted children from 90 days old and up to 21 years old who are unmarried.” So that means our baby is not yet included.
If you are thinking of signing up for MEDICard, check first if you are eligible as member. Here’s what I got at the MEDICard Philippines website:
PRINCIPAL MEMBERS
Salaried personnel at least 18 years old and up to 60 years old employed by the company on a permanent basis.
Who are Eligible as Members?
DEPENDENT MEMBERS
For married employees:* Legal spouse up to 60 years old
* Legitimate and or legally adopted children from 90 days old and up to 21 years old who are unmarried
For Single employees:
* Parents up to 60 years old
* Brothers and sisters from 90 days old up to 21 years who are unmarried
All applicants for membership both principal and dependents, aged 40 and above are subject to prior medical evaluation and approval by the MEDICard Medical Department.
