MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) and a group of Filipino-Americans are advancing a campaign to make US government health insurance program Medicare portable, so that Filipino-Americans looking to retire in the Philippines may still be able to reap its benefits.
In a meeting with the press at the CFO office in Quezon City on Thursday, February 27, Filipino-American advocate Eric Lachica explained the lobbying efforts of his group, US Medicare Philippines, an advocacy organization for Filipino-American seniors to keep being covered by Medicare when they retire.
“I’ve been very passionate about this because many of our elderly nurses, Fil-Am nurses, doctors…want to retire here,” said Lachica.
Under the current system, one of the conditions that allow Americans to be covered by Medicare outside of the US is when a service is rendered within six months since their departure from the US, Lachica said. Staying outside for longer risks forfeiting their benefits.
Lachica and the CFO claim that the US will save big if Medicare portability is allowed.
“We have to have a country team approach lobbying-wise with the new Trump 2.0 administration. They are seeking dramatic cost savings. The bottom line here is, we will be saving the American taxpayers [costs]…if they allow us Filipino-American seniors and Americans to retire here in the Philippines. Win-win ang aming hinahabol (We are after a win-win situation),” he said.
Lachica’s group lobbied for a bill in the US House of Representatives directing the American comptroller general to conduct a feasibility study on expanding Medicare to items and services furnished in the Philippines.
Introduced by Guam Representative James Moylan to the House in February 2024, the bill is currently pending with the subcommittee on health.
Brain drain to brain gain
The CFO and the Philippine Department of Health are standing by the Filipino-American group in lobbying for Medicare portability.
“We want Filipinos overseas to consider returning home to the Philippines. At the CFO, we want to reverse the narrative from brain drain to brain gain,” said CFO Chairperson Dante Ang II.
Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said the Philippines has long been attempting to find a way to reimburse health expenses of Filipinos covered by Medicare. Herbosa is proposing that Medicare and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) sit down and talk about insurance portability.
“This will be another way to actually look at an old problem that’s not moving. The US of course doesn’t want to move their insurance portability because that’s income for the hospitals that you’re putting to the Philippines. But with the fact that PhilHealth can share some of the burden, this might become an attractive proposition,” said Herbosa.
Citing the US Social Security Administration’s July 2022 data, the CFO said there are 35,032 Americans aged 65 and above who reside and receive SSA monthly payments in the Philippines.
“If US Medicare portability in the Philippines is allowed, Filipino-Americans can receive treatment here, significantly lowering the costs of US Medicare claims,” the CFO said in a release.
With an administration shift to cost-cutting, US President Donald Trump has ordered a halt to all federal grants and loans seen to disrupt education and healthcare programs, among other forms of social assistance.
However, the White House has claimed that the pause would not affect SSA and Medicare payments, or “assistance provided directly to individuals.” – Rappler.com