For an employee in the Philippines, you choose their health insurance (HMO): PhilCare, a Philippine HMO, or SafetyWing Remote Health Essential, an international health plan. Health insurance is an optional benefit you choose for each employee. This comparison covers PhilCare for the plan year 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, and SafetyWing Community Plan 5.0 for the plan year from 1 October 2026.
Note: PhilCare limits are in Philippine pesos (PHP) and SafetyWing limits are in US dollars (USD). They are benefit limits, not prices.
Limits and how care works
PhilCare and SafetyWing Essential set limits and networks differently:
Topic | PhilCare (Philippines) | SafetyWing Remote Health Essential |
Overall limit | PhilCare pays up to PHP 200,000 for each illness or injury, per person, per plan year. | SafetyWing pays up to USD 500,000 per person, per plan year. |
Network | PhilCare uses accredited hospitals and clinics across the Philippines, with the PhilCare card or a Letter of Authorization (LOA). There is no admission deposit at affiliated hospitals. | SafetyWing has no network. Employees can use any licensed doctor, clinic or hospital. |
Care outside the network | PhilCare reimburses emergency care at PhilCare rates at a non-affiliated hospital, overseas, or where no affiliated hospital is within 50 km, if PhilCare is told within 24 hours. | SafetyWing pays the provider directly when direct billing is arranged in advance. Otherwise, the employee pays and claims the cost back. In an emergency, SafetyWing must be told within 72 hours. |
Outpatient care | PhilCare covers consultations, tests and procedures at accredited clinics. Outpatient tests and procedures are covered only up to a set amount. Outpatient and take-home medicines are not covered. | SafetyWing covers outpatient care, including prescribed medicines, up to USD 2,500 per person, per plan year. |
Hospital room | PhilCare covers a Private Open room. | SafetyWing covers a standard private room at the usual, customary and reasonable cost (UCR). |
Pregnancy | PhilCare does not cover pregnancy and childbirth, except pre- and post-natal consultations. | SafetyWing covers up to USD 1,500 per pregnancy, after a 10-month waiting period. |
Employee age to join | PhilCare covers employees aged 18 to 65 who are actively at work. | SafetyWing covers employees who join before age 74. |
Dependents: PhilCare and SafetyWing
PhilCare and SafetyWing Essential have different dependent rules:
Topic | PhilCare (Philippines) | SafetyWing Remote Health Essential |
Who can join | PhilCare: a married employee's spouse up to 65 and children aged 15 days to 21. A single employee's parents up to 65 and siblings aged 15 days to 21. A single parent's children, then parents up to 65. Parents can join only if neither parent works for money. A common-law spouse or same-sex partner (LGBT partner) aged 18 to 65 who meets PhilCare's partner requirements. Children and siblings must be unmarried, not working or earning an income, and fully dependent on the employee. | SafetyWing: a spouse or domestic partner, and children until the day before they turn 19 if single, or 24 if they are single full-time students. |
Parents | PhilCare: parents up to 65 can join for single employees and single parents, if neither parent works for money. | SafetyWing: parents cannot be added. |
When to add | PhilCare: at any time. A baby can be covered from 15 days old. | SafetyWing: when the employee joins, at renewal (requests go in during open enrolment before 1 October), or after a qualifying life event such as a marriage or a new baby. A newborn's birth certificate is needed within 90 days of birth. |
Other dependent rules | PhilCare: dependents must be in good health when their cover starts. | SafetyWing: each dependent is on the same plan as the employee and has their own limits. |
For both insurers, you can choose to pay for an employee's dependent. A dependent you pay for is charged the insurance plus the $15 administration fee each month, charged in your billing currency. If you do not pay, your employee can pay through a monthly payroll deduction, and that dependent is not on your invoice.
Pre-existing conditions: PhilCare and SafetyWing
PhilCare and SafetyWing Essential treat pre-existing conditions differently:
Who | PhilCare (Philippines) | SafetyWing Remote Health Essential |
Employees | PhilCare covers pre-existing conditions from the start. | SafetyWing covers pre-existing conditions for group members, unless the policy specifically excludes them. |
Dependents already covered | PhilCare covers their pre-existing conditions. | SafetyWing covers them, unless the policy specifically excludes them. |
Newly added dependents | PhilCare covers pre-existing conditions up to PHP 20,000 in the first year, then up to PHP 200,000 from the second year. | SafetyWing covers them, unless the policy specifically excludes them. |
Dental and life cover: PhilCare and SafetyWing
PhilCare includes dental and life cover. SafetyWing Essential does not include routine dental care:
Topic | PhilCare (Philippines) | SafetyWing Remote Health Essential |
Dental | PhilCare covers dental care at PhilCare-accredited dental clinics. This includes an annual exam, a cleaning once a year plus one more, simple extractions, temporary fillings and two light-cure fillings. Other dental services get discounts of up to 20%. | SafetyWing does not cover routine dental care. SafetyWing pays emergency dental treatment in hospital (as an inpatient) at full UCR, to restore or replace natural teeth damaged in a covered accident. |
Life cover | PhilCare includes group life cover of PHP 50,000 and accidental death and disablement cover of up to PHP 100,000, for employees under 66 only, through Philippine Life Financial Assurance Corporation. | Life insurance is not part of the SafetyWing Remote Health Essential health policy. |
Prices for PhilCare and SafetyWing
PhilCare is priced the same at every age. SafetyWing is priced by the age of each covered person. For prices, see Health Insurance Pricing (Australia and New Zealand) or Health Insurance Pricing (US Dollars).
Full terms
This article is general information, not the full terms. For the full terms of PhilCare cover, ask the employee's HR Manager. SafetyWing terms are in the SafetyWing Remote Health Essential policy document.
Who to contact
Choosing an insurer, prices or invoices: contact your Customer Success Manager.
Enrolling an employee or adding a dependent: contact their HR Manager.