CFO, Fil-Am groups push for Medicare portability in PH

By Marita Moaje, Philippine News Agency

HEALTHCARE MATTERS. Officials of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), Department of Health and the advocate group US Medicare Philippines Inc. during a media briefing in Quezon City on Thursday (Feb. 27, 2025). CFO Secretary Dante Ang II said the portability of US Medicare and Medicaid benefits in the Philippines would bring positive results for both the Philippines and the United States. (Photo by Marita Moaje)

MANILA — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), together with the Department of Health, the Philippine Retirement Authority, and Filipino-American advocacy groups, is pushing for the portability of US Medicare and Medicaid benefits in the Philippines.

In a media briefing on Thursday, CFO Secretary Dante Ang II emphasized the proposal’s advantages, describing it as a “win-win situation for both the Philippines and the United States.”

He said that once realized, Medicare portability would encourage more Filipino-American retirees to return and stay in the Philippines which would boost the local economy.

“Why CFO is doing this? It is because we want the Filipinos overseas to consider returning home. At the CFO, we want to reverse the narrative from brain drain to brain gain,” Ang said.

He expressed support for the initiative, saying it is doable.

He added that “it would be not only an economic stimulus for the Philippines, but I think also an answer to the solutions of the United States probably in looking for ways to cut their costs.”

Ang noted that allowing Filipino-American citizens to receive medical care in the Philippines would significantly reduce US Medicare expenses while simultaneously stimulating the country’s economic growth.

Lead advocate of lobby group US Medicare Philippines Inc., Eric Lachica said the initiative has gained traction in the US Congress.

Lachica said a bipartisan bill, H.R. (House of Representatives) 7442 or the Philippines Medicare Portability Study Act, has already been introduced, with sponsors including Congressman James Moylan from Guam and Congressman Bobby Scott from Virginia, who has Filipino heritage.

He said that data from the US Social Security Administration shows that in July 2022, over 35,000 American seniors, aged 65 and up, received their monthly Social Security payments in the Philippines.

Lachica said that if Medicare portability is approved, more Filipino-Americans could choose to retire in the Philippines, reducing their healthcare costs while contributing to the local economy.

Lachica said he himself plans to retire in his father’s hometown in Dumaguete, and that just like him, many other Filipino-Americans want to return to the Philippines when they retire.

“I’ve been very passionate about this because many of our elderly nurses, and doctors, want to retire here. Seventy percent of Filipinos in America, especially Generation 1.0 of the 60s and 70s, want to return to the Philippines in their hometowns and invest their golden age dollars here,” he explained.

“Ang problema namin sa campaign (Our problem) is that under US law, Medicare law, if we lose our US residency, we might be US citizens, but if we stay more than six months dito, pinuputol po yung aming Medicare coverage (our Medicare coverage gets cut). So we have to change the law in the US to allow long-term coverage,” he added.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said the campaign aligns with the Philippine government’s broader goal of reversing the “brain drain” phenomenon.

He said that by encouraging the return of highly trained Filipino healthcare professionals who work abroad, the initiative could enhance the country’s medical sector.

“Some of our nurses that left in the 70s are also aging, so they come home, I call it return migration because these nurses are now highly trained in high-quality healthcare that can train my younger nurses, actually, they can still teach,” Herbosa said.

He said that there are even Filipino-American doctors who have actually retired in the country and are doing pro-bono work in their communities and are helping in the realization of the Universal Healthcare agenda of the government.

“So this is a win-win for us so we’re willing to work with Mr. Eric (Lachica) so this can happen. Imagine senior nurses coming here and senior doctors from the US with specialization coming here. There will be a big return migration. We lost them as brain drains. But now they’re coming home if we’re able to push the Medicare portability,” he added.

Lachica said the proposed policy could also alleviate the financial strain on the US healthcare system.

He said that with US healthcare costs skyrocketing and federal budget cuts looming, allowing Medicare portability in the Philippines could save American taxpayers at least 50 percent in healthcare expenses.

The CFO said the initiative could transform the Philippines into a premier medical tourism hub while providing Filipino-American retirees with a more affordable and comfortable healthcare alternative.