Personal Loans for Health and Wellbeing in the Philippines

March 9, 2020

When most people think of how personal loans are used, they usually picture a luxury holiday, a new car or a series of extensive repairs around the home. This doesn’t always have to be the case, though. In the Philippines, everybody is entitled to free health care, but the reality of socio-economic conditions can mean that the quality of service on offer can vary quite considerably. This is especially true when you compare the rural parts of the country to the more densely populated cities. Generally speaking, the level of care you will receive from a public hospital in Manila will be more comprehensive than the same kind of organisation in a rural village or smaller town. This is mainly due to a lack of infrastructure and investment. For both locals and expats in the Philippines, investing in healthcare and wellbeing is a major priority. In this article, we discuss how to use personal loans for health and wellbeing in the Philippines.

Private Health Care Providers

Phil health means that everybody can potentially access private health care and in reality, the vast majority of public health provision is dealt with by the numerous private health companies across the Philippines. Using a personal loan to cover the cost of a premium insurance plan can be a sensible option, especially for those with long term health conditions that are likely to need regular treatment. Though you don’t need to borrow a particularly large amount, using a relatively low-cost personal loan to pay for your premiums in advance can bring the overall cost down over time. Similarly, if you prefer to use a private health care provider for any elective procedures or cosmetic work, a loan might mean that you can afford a better quality of service than you had first anticipated.

Wellness Investments

Lifestyle, diet, exercise and using the right kind of supplements all make a significant difference to your overall health and wellbeing. Gym memberships, classes and good quality food can all be quite expensive, even in the Philippines, where the cost of living is generally much lower than it is in some parts of the world. This means some people might need a helping hand to cover the costs. Small to medium sized personal loans are often a good way of doing this, especially if you make a check list of everything you need to pay for before you decide to make an application. Providing your salary or regular income is substantial enough to make the repayments comfortably each month, this approach means that you can treat your mind and body to the best of everything, without having to compromise on life’s daily essentials such as food, rent and travel.

Hidden Health Costs

For older people, those with mobility issues or pre-existing conditions, life can throw up a number of hidden health costs. These can be things like paying for adjustments to your living space or place of work to make the environment easier to navigate, or simple but necessary everyday purchases such as tissues, rubber gloves or topical ointment. For people in the Philippines that may have hidden health costs, a salary is not always enough to cover the essentials, which is where personal loans can come in handy. Estimating your health costs over the course of a year is a good strategy as it allows you to plan in advance and budget for anything you might need. Usually a relatively small personal loan is enough to ensure you can manage all of your hidden health costs without eating into your salary other income. This can be particularly helpful if you live somewhere with a below average or poor standard of health care provision.

Emergency Health Fund

For those who want to plan for the future, having an emergency health fund can be a great way of making sure they have peace of mind and the confidence to live their lives the way that makes them happy. Using some of a personal loan towards an emergency health fund can allow you to keep back a sizable chunk of money, just in case you need it unexpectedly. This can be difficult to do if there are other, particularly pressing costs to deal with at the time, but for those without too many other sizable daily or weekly outgoings to manage, it can be a great way to safeguard against unwanted health related problems. This kind of fund can also be used to pay for things like emergency travel to different hospitals or health centres, a good option for those in rural parts of the country who may need to visit a city or large town to make sure they can get the treatment they need.

Gym and Exercise Costs

Though it may not relate to health care costs directly, keeping fit and active can be a great way to safeguard against avoidable health conditions. It can also improve pre-existing conditions such as arthritis or other problems with movement and mobility. Using a small personal loan to cover the price of a regular gym membership or the cost of other physical activity that you enjoy is something many people in the Philippines do to ensure they stay active and healthy throughout the year.

Summary

Personal loans for health costs are one of the most sensible uses of medium terms personal finance. It may not give you the same kind of pleasure as buying a brand-new car or paying for a dream holiday straight away, but the peace of mind and the improvement to your lifestyle over time can be just as rewarding. For those in areas where health care isn’t as good as it could be, using personal loans to go private is often the best way to avoid poor quality service and any related problems this might cause. Health insurance plans are generally quite variable in the Philippines, though there is usually an affordable option for most income brackets.