00:00As you know, with the Commission of Filipinos Overseas, we had a second meeting today.
00:07Some of you were the first one to discuss the campaign of Erick LaChica's group to make
00:17Medicare-Medicaid portable to the Philippines.
00:21The first meeting, as you know, that you attended, we convened several government partners who
00:27can support this campaign, and as you know, the CFO does.
00:31And today, we invited members of our hospital community to discuss this.
00:39It was a very productive meeting where we outlined the benefits or the merits of the
00:46Medicare portability, and we had some discussions also on how the hospitals can work together
00:55to support the campaign.
00:58I'm here, as usual, with Mr. LaChica, but also joining us today is Ms. Mariela Fletcher
01:03of the NAFA.
01:08So maybe I'll give it to Erick first to give us an update.
01:16Thank you, Secretary Ang and Mariela, from our National Federation of Filipino American
01:22Associations.
01:24We had a very good second round of conversations, especially with our healthcare centers, partners.
01:34If I can mention their names, the Medical City, Ayala Healthcare, the Private Hospital
01:40Association, and Makati Med.
01:43So this is continuing.
01:45We've been at this, Mariela and I, on behalf of the Federation and our group, the U.S.
01:51Philippines Advocacy Group, based in Washington, D.C., that we are developing strong partnerships
01:58with our, renewing our partnerships, and developing a coalition to achieve critical mass to create
02:06the conditions here in the Philippines to welcome our elderly Filipino Americans and
02:13their spouses when they choose to retire permanently here in the homeland.
02:18So all of the developments this past two months have been very, very, very optimistic
02:25in my mind, especially with the thrust of President Bongbong Marcos and his healthcare
02:32advisors to create the conditions for a good welcome for our elderly Filipino Americans
02:40and OFWs.
02:43So Medicare portability should be permanent.
02:46Right now, as Americans, we'll only have temporary care if we choose to reside here
02:51in the Philippines.
02:53And many of us who are disabled, God forbid, not me, I'm still 72 years old, but I plan
03:00to retire here in five years permanently.
03:02So I'd like to have Medicare cover us.
03:07Many of us have very modest pensions, especially our immigrants who worked in the U.S. for
03:1310 or more years, their average pension's about less than $1,000.
03:19For those who are caregivers, domestic workers, folks who work in the Filipino-American restaurants,
03:27they would like to come back.
03:28And as you know, many of our so-called out-of-status Filipinos in America, there are more than
03:37300,000 according to the Ambassador Maldas, they'll be have to make a decision to come
03:44back soon to the Philippines to prevent embarrassing situation when they are forced home.
03:53So this will create jobs.
03:55We anticipate almost 2 million new jobs if we have healthcare portability in the Philippines.
04:03We expect about half a million elderly Filipinos and their spouses from the U.S. to retire
04:09here.
04:10As they say, a rising tide rises all ships.
04:15This will also improve the healthcare sector here.
04:19We have paying retirees and their spouses live here.
04:28Our organization, also headquartered in D.C., we have been working with the U.S. Filipinos
04:35for good governance on Medicare portability.
04:38And this is, Medicare portability is a must, I would say that, because of the senior part
04:47of our Phil-AMS diaspora.
04:51And when they retire here with Medicare, there's out-of-pocket costs that's less.
04:57And also, they'll be able to, the continuation of the kind of care that we can also, they
05:02can also avail of in the Philippines.
05:04We have the best doctors here, for that matter.
05:08And the care here is also different.
05:11But I do feel that, just like working last week with Secretary Ang on the Filipino-American
05:17diaspora, covering disaster relief, this is also part of the HR 7442, I believe so.
05:24So if we can just all work together and make sure that, you know, it may be a long shot,
05:30but hey, it may not even happen in my lifetime, but this is some work or initiative that we
05:36are planting seeds for now, for the next generation as well.
05:40So that's all I can say.
05:43Yeah.
05:44Well, let me just say that the bill referenced by Mariella is a bill that they plan to file
05:47in the U.S. Congress by the end of the month, if I'm, by the end of the month.
05:51So hopefully that will, that will prosper.
05:54I think one of the interesting things that came out of the meeting today, as Eric mentioned
05:58that there will be, or there can be substantial savings if the U.S. government decides on
06:04this.
06:05Not to mention the economic boost for the Philippines, but a comment made in the meeting
06:09today was that the outpatient costs in the Philippines will probably yield a bigger number,
06:19bigger savings for the U.S. because of the lower cost of checkups, blood works, other
06:26lab works done here compared to, compared to U.S. hospitals.
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