Health Planning for Your Peak Years

Prevention is cheaper than treatment

The leading causes of death in the Philippines — heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer — are largely preventable or manageable with early detection. A P5,000 annual checkup is infinitely cheaper than a P500,000 hospital bill.

Essential annual health checkups

Starting at age 35, get these done yearly:

• •Complete blood count (CBC) and blood chemistry (glucose, cholesterol, uric acid)
• •Blood pressure monitoring (hypertension affects 1 in 4 Filipino adults)
• •Chest X-ray and ECG (heart screening)
• •Urinalysis and fecalysis
• •Eye exam (especially if you work on screens all day)
• •Dental cleaning and checkup
• •Women: Pap smear and breast exam. Men: PSA test after age 40

Healthcare cost management

Layer your protection to minimize out-of-pocket costs:

• •PhilHealth: Use Konsulta package for free outpatient primary care at accredited facilities
• •HMO: Maximize your company HMO for consultations, labs, and prescriptions
• •Critical illness insurance: Consider adding a rider if you have dependents
• •Health savings: Set aside P2,000–P5,000/month specifically for health expenses