Why Health Insurance is Important
Back when I was eight, I noticed that a small lump has started to grow on my left thigh. I told my mom about it. But all we can do at that time was to pray that it was benign and waited for the time when we can afford a doctor’s checkup. I never brought up my situation again to my parents because I knew that we cannot afford to pay the medical expenses, but not until I got alarmed on how big it had grown after 13 years. August 2015, I sought medical advice and was diagnosed with Sebaceous Cyst. Thank God, it was not malignant! But still, a minor surgery was recommended. The good thing was I have a health card and that minor surgery could be covered by my healthcare provider. Without the need for me to spend even a single centavo. That’s the time I decided to undergo surgery. The procedure went well, though, I still needed to wait for a few months for it to completely heal. But the important thing right now is that my worry has gone. Isn’t that wonderful? Wait, there’s more!
Recently, due to an accident I injured my left knee. A complete tear in my Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). It was a devastating blow for me – physically and spiritually. I just had a surgery seven months ago and here I am again worrying not just about my health but also about my family and my work. This is a very serious problem! I’ve been on leave from work for a month after the accident. I needed to condition myself and my left knee again because I decided to undergo another surgery, this time a major surgery. My leave credits are almost used up and soon I won’t be receiving any salary from the company where I’m currently working. Since my condition left me with no choice, I still had to take a leave from work for another three months for the post operation recovery. My medical expenses such as hospital bills, professional fees, medicinal expenses, and PT treatment bills almost reached P100,000. But Again, I was saved by my healthcare provider in this time of need. Because of my health card, I didn’t need to pay the 40% of my medical expenses. The other 33% was covered by my Philhealth while the remaining was from my emergency fund.
Indeed, ‘mahirap magkasakit’. Being sick is a big burden for everyone especially if we didn’t prepare for this kind of situation. Every day we are exposed to different kinds of sickness and accidents. It may happen anytime and anywhere, sometimes in the least we expect it. Being an accounting analyst, health care is provided by the company where I am currently working. But what if they didn’t have that kind of benefit? Maybe right now I’m drowning in debts.
What if I resign, can I bring my health care from the company with me? NO!
What if I am already retired, sick and old, can I apply for my healthcare? NO!
Good thing is that I learned about long term health care a year ago. Now, I don’t have to worry for the future; the retired and old me, because right now I already started investing for my health insurance if ever I need it in the future. Philhealth is also a great help but Philhealth alone won’t give you enough peace of mind.Remember: Invest in health insurance. It is difficult to get cheap health coverage when you’re already retired.
Your most important wealth is your health.
