Traveling around the Philippines independently will give you the chance to discover a beautiful country that will win you over with its white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, remote islands where you can feel like a castaway, spectacular volcanoes, endless rice fields and, among many other things, exceptional marine life.
At Travel Around the Philippines, we want you to discover every single one of these places, but should you need to see a doctor or visit a hospital, we also want you to have all the information you need to do so without any problems. That is why we are going to explain the importance of getting the best travel insurance for the Philippines.
Travel insurance for the Philippines
First of all, we want to put your mind at ease: the Philippines is a safe country for tourists, provided you use common sense and stay away from situations you would also avoid in any other country. However, whether because of an unexpected accident or any other medical need, you may have to see a doctor.
We are going to look at the best travel insurance for the Philippines for a typical trip lasting a few weeks. If you are setting off on a trip lasting several months, you will find this other guide useful: Annual travel insurance.
Why should you get medical insurance for a trip to the Philippines?
Taking out travel insurance for the Philippines has always, of course, been an entirely personal choice (although even official government websites emphasize how essential it is to have it), but following the pandemic, it is now strongly recommended. We always recommend getting it and never travel without it, as it gives us the peace of mind to enjoy our trip without having to worry about anything. At home, we have the protection of a familiar, high-quality healthcare system. When traveling to countries like this one, however, without adequate insurance for the Philippines, you could end up facing bills of thousands of dollars (as you will see below) or receiving treatment at very low-quality medical facilities.
We are now going to share a real experience of our own and explain what would have happened had we traveled to the Philippines without insurance.
We were on the small island of Tablas when I began having difficulty breathing, headaches and a lot of green mucus. After calling my medical insurance provider, they immediately sent me to what was, given the island’s limitations, the best hospital in the area. There, a doctor ran several medical tests and diagnosed possible pneumonia requiring immediate hospitalization. The hospital had no beds available, so I quickly contacted my insurance provider again. Their solution was to pay for my round-trip flights to Manila so I could be treated at one of the best hospitals in the country. There, I was given the medication I needed, and the problem cleared up without my having to be admitted.
Three weeks in the hospital, during which we saved more than $20,000 by having travel insurance for the Philippines
Had I not had international medical insurance for the Philippines, I would not have known so quickly and easily which hospital to visit in Tablas and, of course, I would have had to pay for the flights, both hospitals and the medication. The total bill came to more than $350, whereas, thanks to our discount, you can get two weeks of medical insurance for less than $50. In addition, throughout the entire process, I received advice from a medical team based in my home country that was assessing my case.
If saving $350 thanks to travel insurance for the Philippines already sounds like a success, keep reading because further down we will also tell you about the time we saved more than $20,000 after I spent three weeks in the best hospital in Manila.
In addition to the huge savings a policy like this can provide in the event of a health problem, the international travel insurance for the Philippines that we recommend covers many other situations, ranging from theft, lost luggage and transportation problems to repatriation or flying a family member to the Philippines to be with you if you are hospitalized (in our case, they flew my mother out and paid for her accommodation).
Recommended medical insurance for traveling around the Philippines
As always, every recommendation you will find on this page is based on our experience traveling around the Philippines and the situations we have faced when needing medical assistance in the country. After analyzing the insurance policies available to international travelers, we believe that Heymondo is the best option for traveling to the Philippines because it offers excellent value for money and coverage perfectly suited to what awaits you in this paradise. Below, we are going to show you the features that make it our favorite. You can get it here with a discount for coming through us:
Heymondo’s policy with the highest coverage is Heymondo Premium. In our experience, Heymondo Top is a fantastic policy offering more than enough coverage for the Philippines, which is why it is the one we recommend to international travelers. If you want even higher coverage, then Premium is the policy for you.
Extensive coverage at a very competitive price
The travel insurance for the Philippines that we always recommend, Heymondo Top, provides up to $5,000,000 in medical assistance coverage, which is more than enough for this destination. It is true that when we travel to destinations considered expensive, such as the United States or Japan, we prefer Heymondo Premium with medical coverage of up to $10,000,000, but our own experience has shown us that $5,000,000 is enough for the Philippines. Even so, no insurance company is going to spend millions in either Japan or the United States. Why? When an insurer has to pay extremely high amounts, it will arrange a medical evacuation flight for you—which costs them far less—and send you home to receive treatment there.
Heymondo Top also covers medical assistance for COVID-19, just like other illnesses that may arise during the trip.
In terms of value for money, and after years of comparing every option, this is undoubtedly the best travel insurance for the Philippines.
24-hour assistance through its app
We hope it never happens, but if you have an accident or need medical assistance during your trip, you will want to be able to contact your insurance provider quickly and easily. Heymondo has an app that lets you request help without having to search for phone numbers, documents or policy details in a stressful situation.
Assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From the app, you can access a medical chat, make free assistance calls over the internet and manage any issues that may arise during your trip.
Free, available 24 hours a day and right on your phone. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
It is travel insurance for the Philippines with no mandatory deductible
The term “deductible” may be unfamiliar to you, but many insurance companies use one. It is very simple: if you have a $120 deductible, you will have to pay for any medical assistance costing less than that amount. And if the medical assistance costs, for example, $121, you will pay $120 and your insurance will cover only $1. For us, Heymondo is the best travel insurance for the Philippines, partly because it has no mandatory deductible and covers all costs.
The Philippines is all about adventure, so you need to travel with insurance
The Philippines is a destination packed with outdoor activities. Heymondo’s standard coverage includes some of the most common ones, such as snorkeling, kayaking, surfing, paddleboarding, zip-lining and trekking below 3,000 meters, provided they are not the main purpose of the trip and are not practiced professionally or competitively.
In addition, Heymondo Top and Heymondo Premium policies allow you to add Adventure Sports coverage, which extends protection to activities such as scuba diving at depths of less than 20 meters, canyoning, rafting, kitesurfing and trekking at elevations of up to 5,000 meters. If you are planning to do any of these activities, remember to add this optional coverage when purchasing your insurance.
Ideal for traveling as a group or couple
This is another extremely useful option when taking out medical insurance for the Philippines. If you purchase insurance for several people at the same time, you can benefit from certain advantages. For example, if you are traveling with your partner, it is better to purchase one medical insurance policy for both of you rather than a separate one for each person. That way, if either of you needs to be repatriated or transferred, the other can accompany them at no additional cost.
In addition, the price is lower for group or family trips and, when combined with our 5% Heymondo discount, you can save a lot of money.
Bodily injury in a motor vehicle
You will travel around the Philippines by land, sea and air, and the “by land” part often raises the same question for many of you: “Will my travel insurance for the Philippines cover me if I have a motorcycle accident?” This is a very common question, as renting a motorcycle to explore different parts of the country gives you an incredible amount of freedom.
The answer is “yes.” If you have an accident, whether as the driver or passenger of a motorcycle (up to 75cc) or car, your medical assistance will also be covered. However, remember that you must always comply with the country’s laws while traveling (helmet, seat belt…) and have the specific license required for the vehicle you are driving.
Trip cancellation when necessary
When organizing a trip to the Philippines, you will have to buy your flights to the country, book your accommodation and perhaps even reserve the different activities you want to do once you get there (a scuba diving course, for example). It is a significant investment! It is therefore normal to wonder: “If I ultimately have to cancel my trip, will I lose everything I have paid?“
Unlike other travel insurance policies that make you pay separately for this as an add-on, Heymondo already includes it. With Heymondo Top, you will be reimbursed up to $3,500 ($7,000 with Heymondo Premium) for trip expenses you cannot recover directly from your different providers if you have to cancel your trip for one of the many covered reasons. We never travel without this kind of coverage, as it protects you in situations from being hospitalized yourself to having a close family member become seriously ill. For this coverage to be valid, the policy must be purchased on the same day you confirm your trip booking or, at the latest, within the following seven days.
How travel insurance for the Philippines works
If you have never used it before, you may be wondering how to use travel insurance. It is very simple. If you need any type of medical assistance, you just need to call the phone number provided when you purchase your policy (you can also contact them by email), and they will direct you to the best-equipped nearby medical facility for your situation. Once there, your travel insurance for the Philippines will cover the cost of your appointment, any medical tests and any medication you are prescribed.
If an emergency prevents you from contacting them before seeing a doctor, you will simply need to send them the invoices and medical reports afterward, and they will reimburse your expenses. We have done this on more than one occasion, and it is a very straightforward process.
If your problem is not health-related but involves another situation covered by the international insurance policy, such as theft or problems with your luggage, the process is the same. Contact them, and they will explain the steps you need to follow to resolve the issue.
As with any travel insurance policy, take a few minutes to read the terms and conditions before purchasing it, paying particular attention to exclusions and the documentation required if you need to make a claim.
They have always made everything VERY easy for us.
Luggage coverage is useful, but the main reason we never travel without insurance is medical protection. A stolen backpack can ruin a few days of your trip; a serious hospital admission or medical transfer can affect your finances for years.
Times we have used travel insurance in the Philippines
Whenever we recommend something at Travel Around the Philippines, especially something as important as healthcare, we base our recommendation on our own experience. In this case, we wish we did not know quite so much about the subject, as that would mean we had never needed to use it, but the reality is that we are highly experienced when it comes to using travel insurance in the Philippines.
We have used insurance in many countries around the world, but these are the situations we have experienced in the Philippines:
- February 2019: After arriving in the Philippines from Australia, we headed north to Tuguegarao. What initially seemed like a minor case of the flu developed into an excessive amount of fluid in my lung. Since I was in a small city with a rather mediocre hospital and it appeared the problem could be serious, I contacted my travel insurance provider and asked to be seen in Manila. In less than an hour, they had already bought me a flight to Manila and informed one of the best hospitals in the capital that I was on my way. When I arrived, the doctors told me things looked worse than initially thought. There was a lot of fluid in my lung, and I needed to be admitted. I spent three weeks there and, after two operations and hundreds of tests, the bill came to more than $20,000. The travel insurance provider took care of the entire bill and also paid for my mother’s round-trip flights so she could come and be with me, as well as her accommodation.
- March 2018: While in Romblon, I had no choice but to visit the only hospital available there. I was having breathing problems and, after taking a somewhat questionable X-ray, the doctor claimed that I had pneumonia. Since I was not convinced, I asked my insurance provider to arrange for me to be examined in Manila. That same day, they bought me round-trip flights so I could be seen at Makati Med, as well as two nights in an Airbnb so I could rest. Fortunately, I did not have pneumonia!
- April 2018: This time we were in Surigao, and the breathing problems continued. I spent five days visiting the hospital across from our hotel almost every day. That hospital did not work directly with insurance companies, so I had to pay for the appointments and tests out of pocket. A few days later, a representative from the insurance company came to my hotel in Cebu and reimbursed me in cash for everything I had spent at the hospital and on medication after I handed over the receipts.
How to purchase your travel insurance for the Philippines with a 5% discount
Now that you have all the information and details explaining why we recommend Heymondo travel insurance for the Philippines, we are going to help you purchase it in five simple steps.
1. Activate your insurance discount
If you visit the Heymondo website through the following link you will instantly receive a 5% discount on your travel insurance for the Philippines without having to do anything else. By doing so, as well as saving money, you help Travel Around the Philippines continue to grow. We like to be transparent: we earn a small commission if you book through our links. And precisely because we like to be transparent, we recommend this travel insurance because we believe it is the very best option for international travelers. You will not see us offering discounts for other insurance brokers simply to earn money, as some other websites do, because we only recommend services we trust.
If you do it through this banner, your discount will be activated automatically:
2. Complete the short form
Enter your country of residence, your travel dates and the number of people to be insured. If you are traveling to another country in addition to the Philippines, select that country as well. Once the form is complete, click the “Calculate quote” button.
3. Choose your coverage for traveling to the Philippines
On the next page, you will be able to choose the travel insurance policy for the Philippines that best suits you. You will see that the final price of your travel insurance for the Philippines, including the 5% discount, is already displayed here, alongside the price you would have paid without it. At the bottom of the screen, you will see the details of each policy. This is where we recommend selecting Heymondo Top. As we mentioned, Heymondo Premium offers higher coverage, but we believe the Top policy provides more than enough, at a more affordable price.
In addition, unlike with other companies, here you can customize your travel insurance for the Philippines by adding coverage for adventure sports, cruises or your gadgets.
The plans, prices and coverage shown may vary depending on your country of residence, travel dates and the destinations included in your trip. The final quote will show the options available specifically to you.
4. Enter your details and pay online
Once you have completed this step, all that remains is to enter your personal details and make the payment. Make sure you use an email address you can easily access, as this is where your documentation will be sent.
5. Download and save your travel insurance documentation for the Philippines
After paying for your travel insurance, you will receive a confirmation email containing your policy number and the phone number or email address you should use if you need assistance. These messages can sometimes end up in your spam folder. Make sure you always have these details readily available during your trip so you are prepared should you need them.
These are the reasons why we always recommend Heymondo to all international travelers visiting the Philippines. Ultimately, the choice is entirely yours, but even if you choose a different company, we recommend getting medical insurance for traveling to the Philippines. Should you have any questions we can help you with, please feel free to ask us.
Vaccinations for the Philippines
In addition to travel insurance with good coverage, it is essential to know which vaccinations are recommended or required when traveling to the country. In this guide, we provide all the information you need about vaccinations for the Philippines, as well as up-to-date information and recommendations regarding other diseases such as malaria and dengue.
Frequently Asked Questions About Heymondo Travel Insurance for the Philippines
Can I buy travel insurance after arriving in the Philippines?
Yes. Heymondo allows you to purchase travel insurance even if your trip has already started. However, there is a 72-hour waiting period from the time of purchase before the coverage becomes active. For this reason, it is always better to take out your policy before leaving home.
Does the 5% Heymondo discount require a promotional code?
No. When you access Heymondo through our link, the 5% discount is applied automatically to your quote, so you do not need to enter a promotional code. You will be able to see the discounted price during the quotation process before completing your purchase.
Which Heymondo plan is best for a short trip to the Philippines?
For a regular trip to the Philippines with fixed departure and return dates, you should choose Heymondo’s single-trip International Travel Insurance. For a typical vacation lasting a few weeks, we recommend Heymondo Top because we believe it offers the best balance between price and coverage. If you prefer higher coverage limits, you can choose Heymondo Premium instead. The plans and prices available may vary depending on your country of residence and travel dates.
Do I need to contact Heymondo before visiting a doctor?
Whenever possible, yes. You should first contact Heymondo’s 24-hour assistance service using the telephone number provided in your policy or through the Heymondo app. They will assess your situation and direct you to an appropriate nearby medical center or hospital. In many cases, they can also arrange payment directly with the medical provider. If an emergency prevents you from contacting them beforehand, keep all medical reports, prescriptions, invoices and payment receipts so you can submit them afterward.
Does Heymondo include trip cancellation coverage?
Trip cancellation coverage is available, but you should check that it appears in the specific plan and quote you select. It reimburses eligible prepaid and non-refundable travel expenses if you have to cancel for one of the reasons covered by the policy. To activate this coverage, Heymondo states that the insurance must be purchased no later than seven days after making your first trip booking. Always check the terms and conditions for the covered reasons, exclusions and applicable limits.
Do you have any questions about the best travel insurance for the Philippines? We would love to answer them in the comments.
