Home health agency in the Philippines

[Gumbolette 58]

Good day fellas!

Last night, as I was cutting up with my mother in law, we happen to joke around about putting up a Home health agency in the Philippines.

She is a home health nurse and I will be soon become one. She would like to retire in my beautiful country but I told her the easiest way to avoid all kinda ####### is to marry a handsome, loving, caring, Filipino guy. (She is divorced).

So, I know even the thought of this business is more likely to be unreal, considering the fact that Philippines really doesn't have that complicated health care system that the gov't actually intervine,

This is how we compared the possible success of this business to the Philippines;

Here in the US, home health agencies;

• get paid through Medecaid or Medicare for the ones who doesn't have personal insurance.
• doctors put their patients in home health if they need continuous care outside of the hospital premises.
• nurses go house to house to check on those patients

In the Philippines,

The government doesn't pay attention so much in the health care since you can just visit a doctor anytime you want since they have their clinics open all through out the week, BUT, of course, there are some of the patients who just get out of the hospital, or even unable to go to the doctor's clinic due to some unforeseeable circumstances, a home health care would be something to consider.

Ok, you might be wondering, who's to pay for the care of these people? The doctors would absolutely not,

Here's what we thought, Philippines have "PHILHEALTH" its the same thing as medicare in the United States. This pay for the people who are not able to pay the hospital bills and all that. In order for the business to kick in with the approval of the lowest form government that has the power to include this new health care system, we have to IF discuss this with the governor or a certain province to include this in his/her program. OR is there any way that we could bypass this route?

So, tell me about this plan guys. I would really appreciate your input on this.

[Markieboy 104]

Interesting proposal you have.

I'm not quite sure how well a home health agency would be perceived in the Philippines. Presently, many post-op patients and/or their family hire nurses and physical therapists to come to the patient's home.

My brother-in-law, an RN, did some moonlighting while waiting for his employment interview. He was paid something like P150/shift.

I would imagine that a home health agency would be more expensive for the patient. If approved, PhilHealth would definitely increase their monthly costs for patients.

Patients would rather pay the health care workers directly, IMO.

However, if you're thinking about a private home health agency for foreigners/Fil-Ams/expatriates...that's a different story. This would definitely be an untapped resource.

[Atencio 43]

Yeah I think the main competition would come from people just hiring RN's on their own which given the glut of nurses there now shouldn't be too difficult.

[Gumbolette 58]

Interesting proposal you have.

I'm not quite sure how well a home health agency would be perceived in the Philippines. Presently, many post-op patients and/or their family hire nurses and physical therapists to come to the patient's home.

My brother-in-law, an RN, did some moonlighting while waiting for his employment interview. He was paid something like P150/shift.

I would imagine that a home health agency would be more expensive for the patient. If approved, PhilHealth would definitely increase their monthly costs for patients.

Patients would rather pay the health care workers directly, IMO.

However, if you're thinking about a private home health agency for foreigners/Fil-Ams/expatriates...that's a different story. This would definitely be an untapped resource.

Yeah, its going to be a rough road trying to get the paperwork reach the desk of a governor, (though considering my grandmother is a politician and she does have some buttons to push if we decided for this route)

In contrary, putting this up for well to do family in the NCR area would be more realizable. If we get to have a ties with their family doctors and give their patients the post care that they need, would give us more opportunity to get patients.

[Zen Den 18]

philhealth does not provide for those who can't afford health care. you have to be able to pay the monthly premiums to get enrolled ( i.e, employed or self-employed)anyway, your competition would really come from temp hiring agencies which we have a lot of in the phils, so just put up one that spefically provides professional health care to foreign individuals. this way you only need to deal w/the local DOT and DOLE =)

[tallcoolone 102]

Home Health Nurses in USA are mainly LPN, which is a 1 year degree.

In Philippines they are many RN's who can't find work, and since the USA is in retrogression for RN's. It is taking about 7 years for a RN from PI to come to USA to work on a working Visa.

Probably not good way to make a living in PI

[tallcoolone 102]

Good day fellas!

She is a home health nurse and I will be soon become one. She would like to retire in my beautiful country but I told her the easiest way to avoid all kinda ####### is to marry a handsome, loving, caring, Filipino guy. (She is divorced).

Her best option is to work in USA until she gets ready to retire. Take her 401K, Pension or Social Security and move to Philippines and live a life like a King.

If I was that age, or age past 30 I would not marry in Philippines, I would just have a house full of "Friends" and enjoy my life

Edited October 20, 2010 by tallcoolone

[Gumbolette 58]

Home Health Nurses in USA are mainly LPN, which is a 1 year degree.

In Philippines they are many RN's who can't find work, and since the USA is in retrogression for RN's. It is taking about 7 years for a RN from PI to come to USA to work on a working Visa.

Probably not good way to make a living in PI

I understand where you're coming from. I have once thought about the massive population of nurses in the Philippines, yet.. if like the others said, if the agency would cater expats, or someone like tallcoolone which of course money is not a problem, it'll be prolly something to consider, but wait, I remember you have a lovely pinay wife/nurse to give you care.

And LPN is not a year program here in the states, its more and likely 18 months.

Thank you for the input though.

[TravellingNomad 12]

the biggest thing you have to consider really is competition, competition, competition. even with your target demographic (expats/foreigners), you still have to think that the cheap cost of hiring an unemployed RN to take care of their loved one back home is still a big competition.

you would need to have something else, some type of service to offer that an RN hanging out at the corner store waiting for a job can't offer to market to your target clients.

Edited October 22, 2010 by TravellingNomad