It’s Saturday morning at Salcedo Weekend Market and Jaime Velasquez Park was crowded and bustling. People pushed shopping carts, filling them before stopping by their favorite stalls for delicious eats. Signs called out to discerning buyers, offering “100-percent grass-fed beef, no hormones or antibiotics,” seafood and organic chicken, pork, duck and eggs. There were mounds and mounds of colorful, fragrant fruits and fresh vegetables, bottles of pure, raw honey and organic sugarcane juice, jars of turmeric and guyabano tea, and packs of chia seeds and acai berry.

In one corner of the market was a blue and purple booth, a standout among the white-canopied stalls of the vendors, and home to the free clinic that Medicard had set up for the day. The company was sponsoring the market that Saturday, a first for both organizations.

“Salcedo Market is known for offering a lot of organic and healthy produce which contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Medicard espouses wellness and health so we wanted to be a part of that and be a part of the community,” said Medicard president Dr. Nicky Montoya.

Salcedo Village is actually Medicard’s home—their company office has stood there for over three decades. “Our office has always been in Salcedo Village,” said Dr. Nicky. “We’re conscious about not leaving the area.”

It was Dr. Nicky’s father, Dr. Nicanor D. Montoya, who started Medicard with his colleagues in 1987. Medicard was a pioneer in the industry. Founded by doctors and run by doctors, Medicard’s goal was to help working people get access to quality healthcare. Medicard just celebrated its 32nd anniversary last May 15 and, with Dr. Nicky at the helm since 2010, Medicard continues its mission. “We give Filipinos access to affordable healthcare. We want them to live long, healthy and productive lives,” he said.

Today, Medicard gives its over half a million members access to over 20,000 doctors, dentists and specialists in more than 1,000 hospitals and clinics all over the Philippines. And Medicard never sleeps—it operates 24/7.

Medicard makes use of technology to provide great service to their members. Their comprehensive website is easy to navigate and allows people to book appointments while Medicard’s MACE app gives people access to healthcare right at their fingertips. “On the app, they can request for consult, they can view their utilization and soon, they can request for checkups,” said Kate Cruz-Joaquin, Medicard marketing services manager.

At the Medicard booth at Salcedo Weekend Market, people dropped by to get their blood pressure checked for free. There was also an area for skin analysis and a little pharmacy. People stopped by, too, to ask questions about Medicard membership and perks. “It’s a quick one-stop for everyone,” said Dr. Nicky. “It’s also our way of promoting our clinic since we’re in the area. Our clinic, our pharmacy, our services, they’re all available, accessible to them. We can even deliver medicine to their homes.”

 

 

Impressive clinic

Medicard Lifestyle Center (MLC), a mere 14-minute walk from the market, is the impressive flagship clinic that Medicard built at the corner of Paseo de Roxas and Gil Puyat Avenues in Makati. “People can go there for consult, for laboratories and diagnostics, for rehab,” said Dr. Nicky. “We also have a pharmacy there and we made sure we put it right beside the road so people walking to and from the MRT station can get medicines.”

Even nonmembers can go to MLC. “We have so many services to offer and we’re not expensive. You can drop by even if you don’t have a membership and would like to get healthy. Our rates are much lower because the clinic is there to support our membership,” he said.

MLC also houses a fitness center, a yoga studio, a skin and body aesthetic center, and a restaurant that serves healthy food.

MLC is just one of Medicard’s 15 freestanding clinics that provide expert care to patients. Each clinic is equipped with the latest laboratory and diagnostic machines to ensure efficiency. Tests are more affordable, too, so members can stretch their benefits. Depending on their plan, Medicard members get access to free consultation and medical certificates at these clinics.

 

 

Telemedicine

Those who don’t want to go to clinics and hospitals can use Medicard’s telemedicine service, which is a partnership with Danish company MyPocketDoctor. “There are so many older people who cannot just drive themselves over to hospitals or clinics. They can use this service,” said Dr. Nicky.

“A telemedical consultation can be done over the Internet. You can talk to our doctors over Skype or Viber. You save an awful lot of time, because there’s no travel involved. You don’t need to go to an ER, you simply click on the button and we’ll call you back,” said MyPocketDoctor CEO Mads Kjaer Larsen.

A nurse will call you first, followed by a doctor. Mads said, “Telemedicine can solve pretty much 80 percent of likely medical conditions. We even prescribe the medicine for you and send the medicine to you. Sometimes the doctor will tell you to go to a lab to get an analysis… But even then, you can upload those to your electronic patient journal in our app and the doctor will call you back again and interpret those results, saving you two visits. The people who have actually tried it are very happy about it.”

The doctors you will be speaking to are doctors who work in hospitals or clinics. “We don’t believe in the concept of hiring doctors full-time because then they lose their edge. They need to work with patients on a daily basis,” said Mads.

Medicard members have access to this service but nonmembers can also purchase a MyPocketDoctor card for P450. This entitles them to three consults valid for one year. “Medicard was our first partner here in the Philippines and Dr. Nicky saw that this is something that can really change the landscape of medical services,” Mads said.

 

 

Lifestyle perks

Medicard goes beyond medical. “Medicard is a lifestyle. You don’t have to be sick to use your membership,” said Dr. Nicky. “Your card comes with perks. We have tie-ups with client companies to offer discounts to our members.”

Cardholders get 10-percent off at David’s Salon, 50-percent off Trampoline Park tickets and a 15-percent discount if you buy 5, 10 or 20 sessions at Saddle Row. Optical shops like George Optical, De Los Reyes Optical Shop, The Opticians and Vision Express offer different deals and discounts of up to 20-percent off services and products. Flash your Medicard at Burgoo and get a free Chicken Diane for a minimum purchase of P750. Get a petite Sicilian Favorite at Gumbo, also for a minimum purchase of P750. Mrs. Fields offers 10-percent off regular items to Medicard members.

When booking your next vacation or staycation, check out hotels like Boracay Tropics, Hotel Celeste, Siglo Suites, The Lake Hotel Tagaytay and The Farm at San Benito. They offer discounts for Medicard members, too.

Dr. Nicky said that continuing his father’s work is challenging and exciting. One of the biggest things he learned from his father is the importance of building relationships. “My dad has been a person who values relationships and fair deals. He’s always been upfront. Value your relationships with others and be fair to them.”

This is something that Medicard focuses on—taking care of their relationships not just with members but also with their doctors. “We nurture our relationship with the doctors. They’re the other leg in this partnership, they’re the ones who actually deliver the service. What we can promise is that we pay the doctors on time, accurately, and we try to make it as easy for them to account as possible. We have direct payments, we have facilities to transfer directly to their banks.

 

 

Protected

It’s Dr. Nicky’s desire for more people to become Medicard members. “Filipinos are not known to rely on insurance. Less than 10 percent of Filipinos have an HMO. They usually pay out of pocket. They’re not insured in that way. And it’s a gamble. We’re hoping that they’ll protect themselves with something that’s affordable,” he said, adding, “It’s not that we wish you would use it but that you are protected. When you need it, there’s something there you can rely on.”

And people can rely on Medicard. “We got you,” their 32nd anniversary posters read. To provide healthcare to more people, apart from their HMO services, they have introduced a range of products that cater to different needs.

“We have clinic-based products,” said Dr. Nicky. “For example, Health Check, our most basic card, is just P500 a year and gives you access to unlimited consultations with our primary care physicians and select specialists, 20-percent discount on laboratory and diagnostic procedures and an annual physical exam (A.P.E.) in the Medicard clinic where you purchased the card.”

Medicard’s Health Plus card gives you access to an A.P.E. and oral prophylaxis along with unlimited consultations and 20-percent off laboratory and diagnostics at all Medicard clinics. These cards are available to anyone—no age limit.

Medicard’s RxER card comes with unlimited consultations, an A.P.E., oral prophylaxis plus discounts on laboratory and diagnostic procedures, surgeries and services at their Skin and Body Clinic. RxER cardholders are also covered for emergency cases (trauma cases, animal bites, burns, accidental chemical poisoning) in Medicard’s accredited hospitals nationwide.

Medicard also has Select, a product that allows the return of unused funds, Kabayan, which was created for overseas Filipinos and their loved ones, and the VIP Program, Medicard’s collaboration with Assist America, which gives members emergency care outside the country.

“Do not be afraid to go for checkups. Don’t be afraid of doctors. A lot of the conditions now are manageable if you just try to follow a healthier lifestyle, eat a healthier diet, exercise and have regular checkups,” said Dr. Nicky. “You will live longer that way.”

Visit www.medicardphils.com.