Medicare Plus HMO 2026: Plans From ₱43/Day, ER Guard & How to Apply
Quick Answer: Medicare Plus, Inc. is a Philippine HMO based in Pasig — it has no connection to the US Medicare program, despite the name. It sells both individual/family retail plans (just 2 valid IDs and a signed application, no employer needed) and corporate plans. It's one of the few HMOs here with genuinely published prices: the Health Assure Plus Individual Plan runs about ₱43/day (ex-VAT), and its ER-only add-ons — ER Guard (₱970) and ER Guard Plus (₱3,315) — are sold directly and even on Shopee and Lazada. Coverage runs from newborns (15 days) to age 60; seniors need to call an advisor directly.
Table of Contents
- What is Medicare Plus?
- Is Medicare Plus legit?
- What plans does Medicare Plus offer?
- How much does Medicare Plus cost?
- What does Medicare Plus cover?
- What's the hospital network like?
- Individual or corporate — who can actually get it?
- How do you apply?
- Medicare Plus vs the big HMOs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
What is Medicare Plus?
Medicare Plus, Inc. is a Philippine health maintenance organization headquartered in Pasig City, operating through medicareplusinc.com and its online store, shop.medicareplusinc.com. It's important to get the name straight first: this is not the US Medicare program, and it's not affiliated with any government senior-citizen health scheme. It's a private, IC-licensed HMO (license HMO-2023-21-R) that happens to share a common English word in its brand name.
What makes Medicare Plus stand out from many of its peers is that it actually sells to individuals and families directly — no employer sponsorship required — on top of running a standard corporate line for businesses. It's also unusually retail-forward for a Philippine HMO, going as far as listing ER add-on plans on Shopee and Lazada, which is not something you'll see from most licensed HMOs in the country.
Is Medicare Plus legit?
Yes — Medicare Plus, Inc. appears on the Insurance Commission's list of HMOs with Certificate of Authority as of November 30, 2025, under license number HMO-2023-21-R. That means it's a regulated entity, not an unlicensed health card seller. As with any HMO, the IC roster is the fastest way to confirm a company's standing before you hand over money — see our full list of IC-licensed HMOs in the Philippines to check any provider yourself.
One detail worth flagging honestly: the IC roster does not disclose Medicare Plus's parent company, and the company's own site doesn't make its ownership structure clear either. That's not unusual for a smaller HMO, but it's a gap worth knowing about if corporate transparency matters to you.
What plans does Medicare Plus offer?
Medicare Plus runs four named products, split between a comprehensive plan and standalone emergency-room coverage:
| Plan | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Health Assure Plus (Individual Plan) | Core individual/family HMO plan | ~₱43/day, ex-VAT |
| ER Guard | Standalone ER-only coverage | ₱970/year |
| ER Guard Plus | Standalone ER-only coverage, higher limit | ₱3,315/year |
| Comprehensive Plan | Fuller-benefit plan | No price published |
The ER Guard products are sold as pure emergency-room add-ons rather than full HMO membership — useful if you already have some coverage and just want an ER safety net, or if you want the cheapest possible entry point into having some card on hand. Notably, ER Guard and ER Guard Plus are also listed for sale on Shopee and Lazada, which is unusual for a licensed HMO product and worth calling out if you're used to buying health coverage only through a company website or agent.
How much does Medicare Plus cost?
Medicare Plus is one of the few HMOs in the Philippines that publishes real prices instead of routing everyone to a quote request, so here's what's actually listed:
- Health Assure Plus (Individual Plan): around ₱43/day, ex-VAT — Medicare Plus prices this plan on a daily-rate basis rather than a flat annual premium.
- ER Guard: ₱970/year, covering emergency-room visits up to ₱20,000.
- ER Guard Plus: ₱3,315/year, covering emergency-room visits up to ₱50,000.
- Comprehensive Plan: no published price — this one is quote-based.
For comparison against other individual HMO options and where Medicare Plus sits on price, see our cheapest HMO Philippines guide and best HMO for individuals and freelancers.
What does Medicare Plus cover?
The Health Assure Plus plan covers the three standard HMO buckets:
- Inpatient: professional fees, room and board (by plan tier), nursing care, operating room use, medicines, oxygen, diagnostics, and ICU care up to the plan's maximum.
- Outpatient: consultations, first aid, diagnostic tests, minor surgery, EENT (eye, ear, nose, throat) care, and prenatal/postnatal consultations.
- Preventive care: vaccine administration, wellness checks, and an annual physical exam with bloodwork and ECG for members 35 and up.
A couple of gaps to know before you sign up: dental coverage isn't mentioned for the individual plan, and whether pre-existing conditions are covered "depends on plan" per Medicare Plus's own materials — get the specific terms in writing before enrolling rather than assuming.
On age eligibility, Medicare Plus covers members from 15 days old up to age 60. Some of the company's own materials mention age 65 instead of 60, so there's an inconsistency in their published copy — treat 60 as the safer cutoff and confirm your exact eligibility with an advisor. For anyone 61 and older, Medicare Plus requires you to call an advisor directly rather than enrolling through the standard online process.
What's the hospital network like?
Medicare Plus states its network covers 500+ hospitals and clinics and either 10,000+ or 15,000+ accredited practitioners, depending on which page of its own site you check — the About page and FAQ page give different practitioner counts. We're flagging this because it's a real inconsistency in the company's self-reported numbers, not a typo on our end. Treat both figures as directional rather than exact, and confirm your preferred hospital or clinic is actually accredited before you enroll — search ClinicFinderPH to check specific providers near you, or browse HMO-accredited clinics in the Philippines.
Individual or corporate — who can actually get it?
Both, and this is one of Medicare Plus's clearer strengths. For individuals and families, enrollment just needs two valid government IDs and a signed application form — no employer or group minimum required. For corporate clients, Medicare Plus asks for a business permit and an employee master list, standard for group HMO onboarding in the Philippines. If you're comparing HMOs specifically because you're self-employed or between jobs, this direct-to-consumer path is worth weighing against other individual-friendly options in our individuals and freelancers guide.
How to apply?
- Individual/family: Apply directly through medicareplusinc.com or shop.medicareplusinc.com with 2 valid IDs and a signed application form. ER Guard and ER Guard Plus can also be purchased through Medicare Plus's Shopee and Lazada storefronts.
- Corporate: Submit a business permit and employee master list to set up a group account.
- Because Medicare Plus doesn't require you to go through an employer, it's one of the more accessible options if you want to buy HMO coverage the same way you'd buy insurance online — card in hand within a defined process rather than a drawn-out corporate quote cycle.
Remember that an HMO like Medicare Plus works on top of, not instead of, your government coverage — see our PhilHealth benefits and coverage guide for what's already covered before you compare HMO add-ons.
Medicare Plus vs the big HMOs
Medicare Plus is smaller and less known than the market leaders — Maxicare, MediCard, Intellicare, and PhilCare all report larger networks and longer track records. Where Medicare Plus competes is accessibility and price transparency: published daily rates, cheap standalone ER products, and a genuinely self-serve individual application process, none of which the bigger names always offer up front. If your priority is the widest possible hospital network or a long-established brand, it's worth cross-checking against our best HMO Philippines roundup. If your priority is knowing the price before you apply, Medicare Plus is more upfront about it than most. For a broader premium comparison, our HMO vs PhilHealth guide explains how the two layers of coverage work together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medicare Plus the same as the US Medicare program?
No. Medicare Plus, Inc. is a private, Philippine-licensed HMO based in Pasig City. It has no connection to the US federal Medicare program for seniors — the shared name is coincidental.
How much does Medicare Plus cost per month?
The Health Assure Plus individual plan is priced at roughly ₱43/day, ex-VAT. Medicare Plus also sells standalone ER-only coverage: ER Guard at ₱970/year and ER Guard Plus at ₱3,315/year. Its Comprehensive Plan doesn't have a published price.
What is ER Guard from Medicare Plus?
ER Guard is a standalone emergency-room coverage product, not a full HMO plan. ER Guard covers up to ₱20,000 in ER expenses for ₱970/year; ER Guard Plus covers up to ₱50,000 for ₱3,315/year. Both are sold directly by Medicare Plus and are also listed on Shopee and Lazada.
Can I buy Medicare Plus as an individual, without an employer?
Yes. Medicare Plus sells individual and family plans directly — you just need 2 valid IDs and a signed application. This is different from HMOs that only sell comprehensive coverage through corporate accounts.
Does Medicare Plus cover pre-existing conditions?
According to Medicare Plus's own materials, this "depends on plan." There's no single published pre-existing-condition policy across all products, so confirm the specific terms for whichever plan you're applying for before enrolling.
What's the age limit for Medicare Plus coverage?
Coverage generally runs from 15 days old up to age 60, though some of the company's own materials cite 65. If you or a family member is 61 or older, Medicare Plus asks that you call an advisor directly rather than enroll through the standard process.
How big is the Medicare Plus hospital network?
The company states 500+ accredited hospitals and clinics. Its practitioner count is reported inconsistently across its own site — 10,000+ on one page, 15,000+ on another — so treat that figure as approximate and confirm specific hospitals or clinics before enrolling.
Is Medicare Plus growing or financially stable?
As of late 2024, Medicare Plus was reported to be raising capital toward ₱120 million to meet the Insurance Commission's HMO capitalization requirements, which are rising nationwide (₱100M by end-2025, up to ₱500M by 2034). Philstar reported the company was in expansion mode, including acquiring several clinics (source).
Conclusion
Medicare Plus fills a real niche in the Philippine HMO market: a licensed, individually-purchasable plan with actual published prices, plus cheap standalone ER coverage you can buy the same way you'd buy anything else online. It's not the biggest network in the country, and a few of its own numbers — age cutoffs, practitioner counts — don't fully agree with each other, so confirm the specifics with an advisor before you commit. If you want to see how it stacks up against the market leaders, check our best HMO Philippines guide or the full list of IC-licensed HMOs. And whatever HMO you choose, pair it with your PhilHealth benefits rather than relying on either alone.