Getting sick as a freelance virtual assistant isn’t an easy thing.

As a freelance virtual assistant, you don’t get any “benefits” since you’re not really an employee of your client. You are an independent contractor so you don’t get bonuses, paid vacation days, etc. Although there are some clients or companies that give bonuses and leave credits but other things like medical insurance, SSS, etc, you have to shoulder all these. In short, getting sick as a freelance virtual assistant is not good if you’re not prepared.

I got sick for 4 days last week, I had to be hospitalized for 3. It’s a good thing I had gotten my HMO late last year.  I have been dilly-dallying for 3 years, although I have been wanting to get medical insurance but the cost of the premium was a big issue for me. After I had my minor surgery and at the same time a relative passed away do to complications brought about by pneumonia, I decided to bite the bullet and get one. It took me years to finally go through with this and months to decide which company I should sign up with. I decided to go with Insular Health Care. Almost all companies have practically the same coverage but with Insular you can be insured up to age 65. Another thing is that you don’t need to coordinate with PhilHealth for your hospitalization, Insular pays for practically everything. You do get an optional benefit from PhilHealth.

Getting sick as a freelance virtual assistant is not good if you’re not prepared that’s why you need to make sure you’ve been paying your PhilHealth monthly contributions and get medical insurance, even if it’s expensive. It really pays to be prepared for any eventuality.

Tip: Have a copy of your MDR handy or have someone get you a copy once you get admitted.  This needs to be submitted before you get discharged. I wasn’t able to secure mine so I lost my chance to get my benefit from PhilHealth. It also helps that you have your receipts, especially the last 3 months.