Pass the Philippines Medicare Portability Study Act H.R. 7442

JOIN the US Medicare Philippines campaign!

We, Filipino Americans, medical professionals, retirees and community advocates, invite you to join our campaign to convince our American President and the U.S. Congress to allow long-term Medicare benefits coverage in the Philippines.

WHY?
Hundreds of thousands of Filipino doctors, nurses, medical professionals, teachers and workers immigrated in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s upon the invitation of U.S. medical and educational institutions and businesses to fulfill the needs of the American People.

Our Filipino American immigrant professionals are retiring at the rate of 100 PER DAY. They are part of the daily "tsunami" of 10,000 baby boomers who reach 65-years. Under U.S. law, they can take their Social Security pensions anywhere in the world. However, the law does not provide long-term Medicare benefit coverage overseas.

With decades of work, they have paid into Medicare. They deserve portability of benefits at internationally accredited hospitals and health care providers in the country of their birth.

WHAT ARE THE FACTS?
Medicare may go bankrupt in several years, according to the Medicare Trustees report.

News stories everyday report the worsening budget crisis facing our government. Because of the post pandemic recovery, economic inflation, unemployment, reduced tax revenues and increasing health care expenses, Medicare may run out of funds in 2028. Social Security benefits may also face cuts or increased requirements.

According to the US Social Security Administration July 2022 data, there are 35,032 American seniors (65+ age) who reside in the Philippines who receive their SSA monthly payments there (https://www.ssa.gov/deposit/foreign.htm). Worldwide, there are 714,316 Americans retirees living overseas who are SSA recipients who are only eligible to receive Medicare upon their returning to the USA.

Cost savings assumptions for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should be forward looking (putting the horse before the cart) since most Filipino American seniors and their spouses want to retire in the PH. They are paying their $174 monthly CMS Part C premium (or $2,088 a year for Part B) which is deducted from their monthly SSA benefit. 

IS PORTABILITY A PART OF THE SOLUTION?
YES. Medicare can save at least fifty percent in costs if they allow American beneficiaries to be covered in the Philippines.

The current annual cost per beneficiary is $12,000. We estimate that taxpayers will save at least $6,000 per year for each Filipino American senior who chooses to return to their country of birth and avail of quality health care there.

With this estimate of cost savings, if 400,000 American retirees choose to reside in the Philippines, the Medicare savings would be $2,400,000,000 ($2.4 Billion) per year. This dramatic savings could help meet our U.S. government’s investments in job creation, education, infrastructure and small businesses - or reducing the budget deficit.

We expect the "Philippine Medicare Portability Study Act of 2024" H.R. 7442 recently introduced in Congress when passed will direct the Government Accounting Office (GAO) under the Comptroller of the United States to show the feasibility and dramatic cost savings of long term Medicare Advantage coverage being expanded to the Philippines.

PH Medical Tourism Delegation led by DoT Asst. Sec. Benito Bengzon and the representatives of top Manila hospitals were urged to support the Medicare Portability Feasibility Study at the PH Embassy Washington, September 19, 2014. The representatives were St. Lukes' senior V.P. Marilen Lagniton, The Medical City marketing director Millete Escasinas, Makati Med. V.P. Arlyn Songco and Asian Hospital's founder Dr. Jorge Garcia. They participated in the 7th World Medical Tourism Congress.
 

CAN THIS BE DONE?

There are precedents: US citizen residents of Guam because of proximity are allowed to obtain critical medical treatment in Philippine hospitals that meet Joint Commission International (JCI) standards. Their costs are reimbursed by Medicare Advantage (Part C) private insurance plans.

Moreover, the Pentagon’s TRICARE and VA Department's health coverage reimburse 30 thousand U.S. military retirees who live in the Philippines.

GOAL in 2024:
Our goal in 2024 is to pass the Philippines Medicare Portability Study Act  in the US Congress on the cost savings with the PH healthcare industry based on their past years experience and the quality of care provided to 30,000 thousand US military retirees in the TRICARE and VA PHILIPPINES programs and the 30,000 Guam Medicare beneficiaries who are treated at the top PH hospitals at low prices.

We anticipate this crucial study would recommend the extension of Medicare coverage to visiting Filipino American seniors and U.S. retirees in the Philippines to obtain huge projected savings for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the American taxpayers in general.

In the meantime, we support the CMS current policy allowing Medicare Advantage (Part C) insurance companies, as part of their temporary (6-months) world-wide coverage, to reimburse their beneficiaries for paying directly the top Philippine hospitals and their doctors for medically necessary treatment when they visit.

HOW ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY TO PREVENT FRAUD?
These JCI accredited hospitals could demonstrate accountability, high quality of care, standardization of professional fees and use of electronic health records (EHR) to meet strict CMS rules. Fraud would be reduced to almost zero.

CMS could review of this industry study and feasibility of Medicare Advantage insurance companies extending coverage on a permanent basis would validate the dramatic savings and care during this period.

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER:
With the pandemic recovery and budget crisis we face, our proposal deserves the support of and cosponsorship of HR 7442 by your U.S. Representative and two Senators. E-mail them on their websites' contact page.

U.S. House of Representatives: house.gov

U.S. Senate: www.senate.gov

Ask them to support and cosponsor.

Former PH President Fidel V. Ramos partnered with US Medicare PH leaders in May 2011.

JOIN US!
Fill-out our membership form in the next page.
For answers, E-mail: usmedicareph@gmail.com
Or call: 202-246-1998

Maraming salamat po!
APOLLO INSERTO RN ret., Acting Chairman
ERIC LACHICA, Organizer & Incorporator

and Board Members

US Medicare PH, Inc. 1825 Great Falls St. McLean VA 22101