Medicard vs Maxicare: Which HMO Is Better in 2026?

Updated October 2026. Prices and plan details checked in October 2026.

Quick answer: Maxicare has the bigger published network. It lists over 1,300 hospitals and clinics, plus its own Primary Care Clinics. MediCard lists over 1,000 hospitals and clinics. Medicard is a strong pick if you want a cheap emergency card. MediCard lists hospitals like St. Luke’s and Makati Medical Center for H.E.R.O. Its H.E.R.O. card costs ₱6,000 a year and covers listed emergencies up to ₱60,000. If you want unlimited clinic consults for the family, I still lean toward Maxicare PRIMA. PRIMA starts at ₱999 a year. If emergencies worry you most, look hard at Medicard H.E.R.O.

Why I started looking

My parents, despite their age, are doing well. And my own hospital stay? Just the one, back in 2019 when my son was born.

For a time, health insurance felt like something we could put off. But life has a way of reminding you that things change.

I’m a freelancer with a little one and parents who are getting older. The “what ifs” of a health scare started to weigh on me. The thought of facing a medical emergency with no financial protection put a knot in my stomach I couldn’t ignore. So I went looking for a safety net. Something is better than nothing.

Medicard vs Maxicare at a glance

	Maxicare	Medicard
In business since	Established 1987	Incorporated December 1986, inaugurated May 15, 1987
Members	1.8 million	Almost one million, per MediCard’s About Us page
Network size	Over 1,300 hospitals and clinics, over 20,000 doctors, over 700 dental clinics	Over 1,000 hospitals and clinics and over 58,000 accredited doctors, per its About Us page. H.E.R.O. works at over 600 accredited hospitals.
Own clinics	Maxicare Primary Care Clinics and 2 Maxicare Wings in major hospitals. The homepage lists 18 clinics. Maxicare’s 2025 PRIMA announcement says 34.	17 free-standing clinics, per its About Us page. The Health Plus page says 18.
Notable hospitals	Standard LifesavER excludes 6 major hospitals: Asian Hospital, Cardinal Santos, Makati Med, St. Luke’s BGC, St. Luke’s QC and The Medical City Ortigas. LifesavER Plus covers them. PRIMA works only at Maxicare Clinics, not hospitals.	H.E.R.O. lists Asian Hospital, Cardinal Santos, Makati Medical Center, St. Luke’s BGC and QC, and The Medical City
Emergency card price (Oct 2026)	LifesavER Accident ₱1,100, LifesavER ₱2,999, LifesavER Pro ₱6,999	H.E.R.O. ₱6,000 a year, VAT included, up to ₱60,000
Clinic-based prepaid card	PRIMA by MaxiHealth: unlimited consults at Maxicare Clinics. PRIMA Consult ₱999, PRIMA Access ₱9,999, PRIMA Elite ₱19,999 a year. PRIMA Gold (₱16,888 in 2024) is no longer sold.	Health Plus: ₱1,545 a year for unlimited consults with select doctors at all 18 MediCard clinics, plus a one-time APE. RxER: ₱2,378 a year, adding ER cover up to ₱20,000 for select cases. My MediCard: ₱3,600 a year for unlimited consults with select doctors at accredited hospitals and clinics.
Full HMO plans	Individual, family, SME and corporate plans. MyMaxicare tiers by yearly limit: Silver ₱100,000 (semi-private), Gold ₱150,000, Platinum ₱200,000, Platinum Plus ₱250,000 (large private). Prices by online quote.	Individual, family and SME plans. Prices by quote.
App and claims	Member Gateway for plan details and test results, online LOA requests	MediCard GO app, eMediCard for availments and claim status, online LOA
Consult options	Clinic visits, Teleconsult, HomeCare	Clinic visits. Some clinics open until 9 PM. Online consults through Talk2Doc in the free MediCard GO app.

Prices are official list prices, checked October 2026. They can change, so check the official site before you buy.

Who should pick which

Pick Maxicare if:

• You want the biggest published network of hospitals and clinics.
• You live near a Maxicare Primary Care Clinic and want unlimited consults. PRIMA works only at these clinics.
• You like having Teleconsult and HomeCare options.

Pick Medicard if:

• Your biggest fear is an emergency, not regular checkups.
• You want an emergency card where MediCard lists hospitals like St. Luke’s and Makati Medical Center for H.E.R.O.
• You are a freelancer, rider or gig worker on a tight budget. That’s who H.E.R.O. was made for.

Get a full HMO plan instead if:

• You need coverage for confinement beyond emergencies.
• Your employer does not cover you.

HMO vs health insurance

Here’s something I learned that surprised me. HMOs and health insurance are not the same. Both help when you’re hospitalized. HMOs usually need yearly renewal and get pricier as you age. Health insurance is more of a long-term product. Etiqa and AXA are health insurance providers. Maxicare, Intellicare and Medicard are HMOs.

Ideally, you’d have both. If your budget is tight, an HMO is a good place to start. I’ve also written about my experience buying Coco Life insurance, if you’re weighing insurance next to an HMO.

My experience with HMOs

I used Maxicare and Intellicare during my employment days. Thankfully, I never got seriously sick. I did use my card for dental care and maternity consultations. My colleagues found theirs invaluable during emergencies. You present your card, and the bill gets a lot lighter.

Not everything is covered, though. Childbirth can be a costly surprise. Most HMOs I know don’t include it. The good news is that SSS has pretty good maternity benefits. I also put together hospital maternity packages in Cebu if you’re planning ahead.

When I compared prepaid cards in 2024, I leaned toward Maxicare PRIMA Gold. I liked that it covered pre-existing conditions and didn’t need a checkup. The unlimited consults and emergency allowance felt right for my family. The only catch was living near a Maxicare clinic. I didn’t buy it. Maxicare has since replaced PRIMA Gold with new PRIMA tiers. Years later, I’m still mulling it over. For now, I make sure my parents get a checkup.

Budget options if a full HMO is too much

For many freelancers, a full HMO is out of reach. Prepaid emergency cards help. Read the fine print, though. They cover far less than a full plan.

• Insular iCare ER Care All-In: ₱1,350 to ₱7,150 a year, depending on the option. The standard plan is not valid at the top 6 Metro Manila hospitals. There’s now an option with access to them.
• Maxicare PRIMA: ₱999 to ₱19,999 a year. You get unlimited consults at Maxicare Clinics. It doesn’t cover hospital care.
• Maxicare LifesavER: ₱1,100 to ₱6,999. Emergency care up to ₱50,000 on the main plan, with life insurance. The standard card excludes 6 major Metro Manila hospitals. LifesavER Plus covers them.
• Medicard H.E.R.O.: ₱6,000 a year for 32 listed emergency cases, up to ₱60,000.
• Medicard Health Plus: ₱1,545 a year. You get unlimited consults with select doctors at all 18 MediCard clinics. It includes a one-time APE and one-time oral prophylaxis. Lab tests are 20% off. There’s no age limit.
• Medicard RxER: ₱2,378 a year. It covers ER care up to ₱20,000 for trauma within 6 hours, burns, animal bites and accidental chemical poisoning. It also gives unlimited consults at MediCard clinics, a one-time APE and oral prophylaxis. Labs, surgeries and dental procedures are 30% off. It’s not a full HMO plan.
• My MediCard: ₱3,600 a year, for ages 18 to 65. You get unlimited consults with select doctors at MediCard-accredited hospitals and clinics. That includes family medicine, internal medicine, cardiology, endocrinology, pulmonology, gastroenterology and dental.

FAQ

Which is better, Maxicare or Medicard?

It depends on what you need. Maxicare publishes a bigger network, with over 1,300 hospitals and clinics. Medicard’s H.E.R.O. card is a solid emergency option. MediCard lists hospitals like St. Luke’s and Makati Medical Center for H.E.R.O. For family clinic visits, I lean toward Maxicare.

Is Medicard a good HMO?

Medicard has been around since 1987. It says it has almost one million members and over 1,000 hospitals and clinics. It runs 17 free-standing clinics and the free MediCard GO app. Its H.E.R.O. card covers 32 listed emergencies at over 600 accredited hospitals. I haven’t used Medicard yet. I’m planning to get one this year.

How much does Maxicare cost in 2026?

Maxicare’s LifesavER emergency cards cost ₱1,100 to ₱6,999 on its official shop, checked October 2026. PRIMA clinic cards cost ₱999, ₱9,999 or ₱19,999 a year. Full MyMaxicare plan prices come by online quote.

How much is Medicard H.E.R.O.?

It costs ₱6,000 a year, VAT included. It covers listed emergencies up to ₱60,000.

Do HMOs cover childbirth?

Most HMOs I know don’t cover childbirth. Check your plan’s agreement. SSS maternity benefits can help. You may also want to read about PhilHealth’s newborn care package.

What’s your pick?

Choosing an HMO is personal. It comes down to your needs, your budget and how close you live to a clinic. Which one did you choose? Tell me in the comments.

Sources

Checked October 13 and 14, 2026 (PHT).

• Maxicare homepage (founding, 1.8M members, network, clinics, Teleconsult, HomeCare, Member Gateway, LifesavER up to ₱50,000)
• Maxicare official shop, LifesavER prices
• MediCard About Us (history, almost one million members, 17 clinics, 58,000+ doctors, 1,000+ hospitals and clinics)
• MediCard H.E.R.O. product page
• MediCard H.E.R.O. Healthcare Program Agreement, Dec 2025 (₱6,000 fee, 1,052 hospitals)
• MediCard news, H.E.R.O. top hospitals and target users
• MediCard homepage (MediCard GO app, eMediCard, online LOA, 9 PM clinic hours)
• Insular Health Care ER Care All-In
• MediCard Healthcare Packages (current card prices, checked October 14, 2026)
• MediCard Health Plus product page (₱1,545, benefits, no age limit, 18 clinics)
• MediCard RxER product page (₱2,378, ₱20,000 ER limit, benefits)
• My MediCard product page (₱3,600, ages 18 to 65)
• Maxicare: Meet the new Maxicare PRIMA (PRIMA Consult, Access and Elite prices, 34 Primary Care Clinics)
• PRIMA Elite product page (₱19,999, Maxicare Clinics only)
• MyMaxicare plan estimate (Silver to Platinum Plus limits, online quote)
• Maxicare LifesavER product page (excludes 6 major hospitals)
• Maxicare LifesavER Plus product page
• MediCard GO app page (Talk2Doc online consults)
• iCare ER Care All-In shop page (Top 6 hospitals option)