‘BRAVE THE WORLD’
MediCard encourages Filipinos to stay healthy
As 30th MediCardyear, the celebrates pioneer itsin HMO service in the Philippines encourages more Filipinos to capitalize on good health to make them seize more opportunities and pursue a better future. “Brave the World” is the theme for MediCard’s 30th anniversary celebration and the words encapsulate the company’s objective, which is to provide quality health care to members and thus resulting to more healthy and happy Filipinos who can face the challenges and opportunities of this world, explains Dr. Nicky Montoya, MediCard president. “The world has indeed become smaller, providing Filipinos more opportunities to excel and grow. However, many pass up these great opportunities as health issues sometimes stand in their way. As we celebrate our anniversary with this in mind, MediCard will continue to strive to provide more Filipinos access to quality health care through innovative products and services that will make staying healthy possible for every Filipino, thus, allowing them to brave the world,” says Dr. Montoya. MediCard’s 30th anniversary will be held at the Manila Polo Club on May 15. Highlights of the celebration will include an exhibit titled: “Brave the World” on May 11 and 12 at MediCard’s head office at the World Center building. There will also be a promo in MediCard free-standing clinics, where non-MediCard members can avail of 30 percent discount on labs and diagnostics.
Beginnings
In the Philippines, access to quality medical care by hardworking Filipinos had always been wanting. One pioneering organization influenced a change to makemedical care accessible and affordable to many and continues to bring quality healthcare service and healthcare innovation so that more Filipinos can enjoy fruitful lives. For three decades, Medicard has helped thousands of Filipinos by providing them with an affordable and comprehensive health care service. The concept of an HMO, or health maintenance organization was hardly heard of in the Philippines, according to Dr. Montoya, whose father the late Dr. Nicanor Montoya started the company in 1987, a year after the 1986 EDSA Revolution. “My father believed that if a person could just put away this small amount of money daily, he could already afford hospitalization. From this basic philosophy, MediCard (Philippines) was born. Its mission was simply to provide quality comprehensive healthcare service to many Filipinos, at a cost they could afford.” MediCard was born out of this pioneering spirit and charitable vision of Dr. Montoya. To form the core of the business, Dr. Montoya enlisted the help of his doctor-friends, most of whom are reputable practitioners from some of the country’s most distinguished medical centers.
The doctors continued to be the major players, something that up to today gives MediCard a unique position in the industry. In its 30 years of existence, MediCard has influenced a number of improvements on how health care service is delivered in the country. Through partner- ships with big and small corporations, the company has helped thousands of employees have access to quality medical care. Its free-standing clinics and occupational health service have elevated expectations as to how medical service should be delivered. These clinics are known as MediCard free-standing clinics. Through MediCard’s constant promotion of the value of health care, more Filipinos are realizing the need to stay healthy. “In past decades, most HMOs focused on medical treatments. Now, the focus has shifted to preventive care and promoting a healthy lifestyle. With this new focus,starts managementwith prevention,of care hence,now the offering of various wellness programs, followed by treatment and management. MediCard is also continuously looking for ways to offer innovative products and be more aggressive in delivering its services.” “We also hope that, with the increased awareness on the importance of health care, more people will realize the value of having a health coverage.” Another innovation MediCard recently introduced is the MACE app, which is a mobile app that allows members to avail themselves of healthcare service—without being physically present in a MediCard office. Today, MediCard continues to grow. It has over half a million members nationwide, 40,000 accredited doctors, specialists and dentists, and over 1,000 accredited hospitals and clinics nationwide. “It is all about creating and delivering value to our members at the highest level possible. Being in a leadership position and maintaining that position is quite challenging and we always strive to stay relevant to our customers. This means creating innovative products and maintaining excellent service delivery, concludes Dr. Montoya.