MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Startups, micro, and small businesses have taken a hit during these times. SMEs are struggling to stay afloat, and the threat of employees getting sick is at an all-time high. When employees get sick, businesses suffer.
Even with this, some employers are unable to provide healthcare plans, thinking that it’s an added cost to their expenses that are already piling up.
If employers only knew that there is a reliable, affordable healthcare plan; specially tailored to the needs and budget of an SME, healthcare would be available to all employees!
Maxicare SME Healthcare Plans are designed with entrepreneurs and their employees’ best health in mind. In the #GrowthStartsWithCare, #MarvinAgustinChoosesMaxicare Facebook Live event held for the members of the press last September 24 Maxicare unveiled their newest celebrity brand ambassador, Entrepreneur Marvin Agustin.
He revealed how he chose to provide Maxicare SME Healthcare Plans to all his employees, even when his businesses were not as profitable as pre-pandemic times. He said, “Ang laking changes, ang laking challenge, disruption na nangyari sa food scene. We had to follow the safety protocols and at the same time, the threat of COVID is serious. Isa yan sa mga unang-unang dapat alagaan, and pay attention to, the safety of everyone. We won’t be able to operate if people, your employees and your staff would get sick, and also not safe for the customers.”
The serial entrepreneur admitted that at first, he was not keen on getting healthcare plans for his employees. Marvin says, “I’ll be honest, before this partnership with Maxicare, even for myself natatakot ako kasi parang extra gastos. But you know, hearing and learning about Maxicare’s SME plans, they just made it convenient and affordable at hindi ka na mag-iisip na kumuha nito. They made it within reach para magkaroon ka nito para sa sarili mo, para sa kumpanya mo, at para sa mga empleyado mo. You don’t need to worry about kung magkano gagastusin mo, o kung meron ka mang protection na kailangan gawin kapag nagkasakit ka.”
Marvin says that much like other SMEs, he thought there wasn’t a healthcare plan suited for his business. “Dati parang pang malaking kumpanya lang ang HMO, ang mga ganitong plans. Syempre Maxicare, very credible company, very reliable. So kapag naiisip mo yung mga adjectives na yan – nako mahal!Kung na-check lang talaga sana nila, malalaman nila na this would be the best investment na gagawin nila para sa kumpanya nila because hindi na sila, at mga empleyado nila, mamumrublema just in case something happens to them.”
He explained further that providing quality healthcare not only keeps his employees healthy. It’s also for the sake of his many businesses “Given that there’s COVID, there’s this threat of us getting sick anytime. Kapag may ganitong challenges, andaming naapektuhan. Wala na ngang papasok na sales, pero andami mo pang kailangan bayaran – renta, suppliers, salary of employees. Pero kapag nagkaroon naman ng sakit, tapos wala kang Maxicare na HMO, mas malaking gastos at mas malaki ang po-problemahin. I’m happy that Maxicare reached out to me, have learned more. Now, I am more ready to do my business, to succeed with my team, and my team and my staff would also have peace of mind that if ever something happens to them, there’s Maxicare that would help them.”
When his employees are in tiptop shape, it helps make his businesses more profitable, showing that #GrowthStartsWithCare.
With 33 years in the business, 1.6 million members, and accepted by over 1,000 hospitals and clinics around the country, it’s no wonder that Maxicare is a leading provider of the finest healthcare in the Philippines. Milky Gallegos, Assistant Vice President, Consumer Marketing of Maxicare, explains that with their reputation, SMEs view their healthcare plans as expensive or an extra expense, which is not the case. She explains, “Recently, we conducted a study among hundreds of employees across the country, and it turns out that SMEs, I mean those who don’t invest in HMO, spend an average of about P21,600 per employee per year on healthcare expenses. So this is on top of payroll, and expenses such as cash advance, or pautang, you know whenever an employee or an employee’s family member gets sick. It’s a significant amount!”
When compared to Maxicare’s array of healthcare plans, SMEs will get quality healthcare with an affordable premium. Milky explains, “Maxicare SME healthcare plans, offers plans that are a lot less than P21,000. In fact, depending on the size of your business, we have plans that start as low as P4,600 to P6,000 per employee per year. So this big difference in the amount of spending, is something that a lot of SMEs are not aware of. And the key point that I want to make and to highlight today, is that investing in Maxicare SME healthcare plans, not only gives your employees access to quality healthcare, but also protects your business from unplanned expenses. It really is an investment for the employees and the business itself.
One of Marvin’s employees, Jennifer Haw, the Operations Manager of Yummyverse Group, was also in the launch. She revealed how relieved and happy she feels, knowing that she has a Maxicare SME Healthcare Plan that will take care of her. She said, “Nakakakilig kasi ang Maxicare is giving you peace of mind. Parang kahit na magkasakit ka, alam mo na mayroong Maxicare that would take care of your employees. And kahit mababa lang yung number of employees, I suggest talaga to get para lang talaga sa peace of mind ng mga family members ninyo especially at this time. ‘Wag niyo tipirin yung mga tao ninyo to invest on Maxicare. Hindi naman siya ganoon kamahal upon checking, sobrang affordable niya. Ito yung pinaka the best na investment na ginawa ni Marvin for his business talaga.”
Jennifer is only one of the many employees of Marvin, and Marvin chose the Maxicare SME Healthcare Plan suited to his businesses. However, there are many product options to choose from, depending on the financial capabilities of each SME. Jen Limbaring, Assistant Vice President – Consumer Sales of Maxicare, mentioned that these Healthcare plans also cover pandemic-related diseases. Jen laid out the different healthcare plans:
Maxicare Plus is a comprehensive HMO program for small businesses with 10-99 employees
Maxicare Starter Plan is a comprehensive HMO program for micro businesses with 3-9 employees. Maxicare BusinessEssential is Maxicare SME’s most affordable offer with options to have an Outpatient Care Program or an Outpatient Care + Confinement Care HMO program for companies with 3-99 employees.
Micro businesses can get a plan for as low as Php 4,651 per employee per year. For small businesses, it can go as low as Php 6,260 for those with 10-19 employees, or Php 5,301 for those with 20-99 employees.
These premiums per employee are considerably lower compared to the out-of-pocket expenses SME owners incur to cover the healthcare needs of their employees. In a recently concluded study done by Maxicare, SMEs now spend an average of Php 21,600 a year per employee’s healthcare, as opposed to the Php 18,700 a year per employee that SMEs used to pay prior to the pandemic.
With Maxicare SME Healthcare Plans, SME entrepreneurs no longer need to choose between their business’ profitability or their employees’ wellbeing. Employers now have the option to provide healthcare that is suited to their employees’ needs and matches their current financial capabilities. It’s no wonder why #MarvinAgustinChoosesMaxicare, and so will more and more entrepreneurs, because a Maxicare SME Healthcare Plan is a great business plan.
