Hive Health HMO 2026: SME Health Plans From 3 Employees

Quick Answer: Hive Health is the consumer brand of Health Plan Philippines, Inc. (HPPI), a licensed HMO acquired by the Hive Health startup in 2023. It's SME/corporate-only — the minimum group size is 3 employees, and there is no individual retail plan (older articles claiming you can buy Hive Health as an individual are describing the pre-acquisition company and are outdated). Pricing is quote-only, built around customized MBL or ABL structures per company. What sets it apart: pre-existing conditions are covered from Day 1, dependent enrollment isn't restricted to a fixed hierarchy, and cohabiting or same-sex partners can be enrolled as dependents — a rare feature among Philippine HMOs.

If you're a small business owner or a startup founder trying to get your first three, five, or ten employees covered, you've probably run into a wall: most established HMOs set corporate minimums well above what a small team can meet. Hive Health built its pitch specifically around that gap. This guide covers who actually runs the plan, what it covers, and who it's realistically for.

Table of Contents

• What is Hive Health?
• Is Hive Health legit?
• What plans does Hive Health offer?
• How much does Hive Health cost?
• What does Hive Health cover?
• Hospital and dental network
• Individual or corporate — who can actually get it?
• How do you apply?
• Hive Health vs the big HMOs
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

What is Hive Health?

Hive Health is a brand name, not a separate insurance license. The company actually holding the HMO license is Health Plan Philippines, Inc. (HPPI), which Hive Health acquired in 2023. HPPI still runs a legacy corporate site at hppi.com.ph alongside Hive Health's main site, ourhivehealth.com, and the two are cross-linked as the same operation.

Hive Health itself is described as a Harvard- and Stanford-founded, Y Combinator-backed startup, operating under a Singapore-style holding structure (its site footer reads "© 2025 by Hive Health Pte Ltd."). The company reports funding of roughly $6.62 million and around 88 employees, according to startup data aggregators like Tracxn and PitchBook — these are third-party-sourced figures, not numbers Hive Health itself publishes, so treat them as approximate.

The practical takeaway: when you buy "Hive Health," you're buying an HPPI-underwritten HMO plan with a modern startup's branding, sales process, and product design layered on top.

Is Hive Health legit?

Yes, in the sense that HPPI is licensed as an HMO by the Insurance Commission. Hive Health's site lists its license as HMO-2026-04-R, though the Insurance Commission's own roster (as of the November 30, 2025 update) shows it as HMO-2023-04-R — a discrepancy that likely reflects a renewal-cycle numbering format rather than two different licenses, but it's worth confirming directly with HPPI or the Insurance Commission if you need to verify the current certificate before signing a corporate contract.

Beyond the license number, HPPI's 2023 acquisition by Hive Health is publicly disclosed on both companies' websites, and the underlying entity — not just the new consumer brand — is what's on the IC's licensed-HMO list.

What plans does Hive Health offer?

Hive Health doesn't publish named, off-the-shelf plan tiers the way some retail HMOs do. Instead, it builds plans around one of two benefit-limit structures, customized per company:

• Maximum Benefit Limit (MBL) — a fixed peso cap per member per year.
• Annual Benefit Limit (ABL) — a similar per-year cap structure, offered as an alternative depending on what the employer wants.

There's no minimum participation requirement beyond the overall group minimum, and Hive Health advertises minimal restrictions on dependent hierarchy — more on both below. No specific MBL or ABL peso figures are published; those are set when a company requests a quote.

How much does Hive Health cost?

Hive Health does not publish prices anywhere on its site. Like most corporate-only HMOs, you get a number only after an employer submits a "Get a Quote" request, and the price depends on group size, the benefit-limit structure chosen, and the ages/profile of employees being enrolled. There's no individual price list, since individuals can't buy a plan directly in the first place (see below). Treat any specific "Hive Health price" you see quoted secondhand online as unverified.

What does Hive Health cover?

Based on what Hive Health publishes officially, coverage includes:

Two things stand out here. First, covering pre-existing conditions from the first day of membership is unusual — most Philippine HMOs impose a waiting period (commonly a year) before a pre-existing condition is payable. Second, allowing cohabiting or same-sex partners to be enrolled as dependents is genuinely rare among Philippine HMOs, most of which restrict dependent coverage to a legal spouse and children. Hive Health states this openly as part of its product design, so it's a real differentiator, not marketing spin.

No overall MBL or ABL peso figures are published, since those are set per company contract.

Hospital and dental network

Hive Health states its network covers 1,700+ hospitals, clinics, and dental facilities with 20,000+ doctors. As with any HMO's self-reported network size, confirm that a specific hospital or clinic near you is currently accredited before assuming cashless admission. Browse HMO-accredited clinics or search ClinicFinderPH to check providers in your area.

Individual or corporate — who can actually get it?

Hive Health is SME/corporate-only. The company markets itself explicitly as "hassle-free HMO plans for Philippine SMEs," with a minimum group size of 3 employees — a notably low bar compared to the 10-15+ minimums common at larger HMOs, which is the core of Hive Health's pitch to small businesses and startups.

There is no individual retail plan. If you find older articles or search snippets suggesting you can buy an individual Hive Health plan, that information predates the 2023 Hive Health acquisition and reflects HPPI's prior business, not the current product — don't rely on it. If you're an individual or freelancer without an employer plan, see our guide to best HMOs for individuals and freelancers instead.

How do you apply?

Enrollment runs entirely through the employer side — there's no individual signup flow. A company requests a quote through Hive Health's website ("Get a Quote"), and Hive Health builds a proposal around the group's size, chosen benefit-limit structure, and employee profile. If you're an employee, your HR or benefits team handles enrollment; you don't sign up directly.

Hive Health vs the big HMOs

Hive Health competes less on scale and more on accessibility and product design for small teams. Where a large HMO might require 10 or more employees to qualify for a group plan, Hive Health opens the door at 3 — useful for a startup or small office that's otherwise priced out of group coverage entirely. Its Day 1 pre-existing-condition coverage and inclusive dependent rules are also more flexible than what most larger, longer-established HMOs publish. What you give up is scale: its 1,700+ facility network is smaller than the biggest players, and as a newer entrant (under this brand, since 2023), it has less of a public track record to evaluate.

For a broader comparison across providers, see our roundup of the best HMOs in the Philippines and the cheapest HMO options. And remember that any HMO, including Hive Health, works on top of — not instead of — PhilHealth; see HMO vs PhilHealth for how the two interact. For the complete roster of every IC-licensed HMO in the Philippines, see licensed HMOs Philippines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Hive Health HMO?

Hive Health is the brand name used by Health Plan Philippines, Inc. (HPPI), a licensed HMO that Hive Health — a Harvard/Stanford-founded, Y Combinator-backed startup — acquired in 2023. HPPI is the entity that actually holds the Insurance Commission license.

Is Hive Health legit?

Yes. The underlying company, HPPI, is licensed as an HMO by the Insurance Commission. Hive Health's own site and the IC roster show slightly different license-number formats (HMO-2026-04-R vs HMO-2023-04-R), which appears to reflect a renewal-cycle discrepancy — confirm the current certificate directly with HPPI if you need it verified for a corporate contract.

Can I buy Hive Health as an individual?

No. Hive Health is SME/corporate-only, with a minimum of 3 employees per group. There is no individual retail plan. Any information suggesting otherwise is describing the pre-2023-acquisition version of the company and is outdated.

How much does Hive Health HMO cost?

There's no published price list. Hive Health is quote-based — an employer submits a "Get a Quote" request, and pricing depends on group size, the chosen MBL or ABL structure, and employee demographics.

Does Hive Health cover pre-existing conditions?

Yes, and notably from Day 1 of enrollment, with no waiting period — a feature most Philippine HMOs don't offer, since many impose a waiting period (often a year) before pre-existing conditions are payable.

Can same-sex or cohabiting partners be enrolled as dependents?

Yes. Hive Health states it allows cohabiting and same-sex partners to be enrolled as dependents, alongside minimal restrictions on dependent hierarchy generally — a feature that's uncommon among Philippine HMOs, most of which limit dependent coverage to a legal spouse and children.

What's the minimum group size for Hive Health?

3 employees — a lower bar than the 10-15+ minimums common at larger, more established HMOs, which is central to Hive Health's pitch to small businesses and startups.

What is HPPI's relationship to Hive Health?

HPPI (Health Plan Philippines, Inc.) is the licensed HMO entity. Hive Health acquired HPPI in 2023 and now operates it under the Hive Health consumer brand, while HPPI's legacy corporate site remains live and cross-linked.

Conclusion

Hive Health is worth a look specifically if you're a small business or startup that can't meet the group-size minimums larger HMOs require — its 3-employee floor, Day 1 pre-existing-condition coverage, and inclusive dependent rules (including same-sex and cohabiting partners) are genuinely differentiated. It's not an option for individuals shopping without an employer, and like most corporate-only HMOs, you'll need to go through a quote request rather than see published prices upfront.

To compare it against other providers, check our best HMO Philippines guide or the full list of licensed HMOs. And whatever HMO your company lands on, it's meant to work alongside — not replace — PhilHealth.