Trust in health insurers rises among Filipinos — study

MANILA, Philippines – Despite persistent concerns over them, health insurers have emerged as among the most trusted players in the Philippine health care system, according to a new study by Bain & Company.

In its 2026 study on the state of health care in the Asia-Pacific, the management consulting firm found that 71 percent of Filipino consumers trust health insurers to help manage their health care needs.

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That places insurers among the country’s most trusted health care stakeholders, behind only primary care providers and pharmacies, both at 74 percent. It also marked one of the highest trust ratings for insurers in the region, trailing only Indonesia at 76 percent and India at 73 percent.

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This also marks a notable shift from Bain’s 2024 survey, when Filipinos ranked primary care providers, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies as the most trusted health care stakeholders.

Even so, Bain noted that high out-of-pocket spending remains a challenge across the region, including among insured populations, an issue it said could discourage patients from seeking preventive care and regular checkups.

“Insurers have a unique opportunity to play the role of the single, trusted healthcare coordinator,” the report said. “If they continue to operate primarily as claims processors, they will be progressively commoditised while providers, retailers, and digital disruptors move in to fill the coordination vacuum.”

Bain’s study, which covered nine Asia-Pacific markets, also found that Filipinos are increasingly turning to alternative care settings.

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More Filipinos going to regular checkups

About 69 percent of respondents in the Philippines said they had used an alternative site of care in the past year, exceeding the Asia-Pacific average of 57 percent and ranking behind only Malaysia at 75 percent and China at 74 percent.

These alternatives include retail and pharmacy-based walk-in clinics, telehealth platforms, home-based care and digital health services.

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Notably, the Philippines and Malaysia were the only markets where retail and pharmacy-based walk-in clinics emerged as the leading alternative-care setting. In most other Asia-Pacific markets, telehealth remained the dominant option.

Bain’s study also showed that more Filipinos are becoming more proactive about managing their health, with 53 percent of respondents saying they schedule regular preventive checkups, up sharply from just 35 percent in 2023.

Even so, the Philippines remains near the bottom of the regional rankings on preventive care, ahead of only Hong Kong, where 50 percent of consumers reported undergoing regular health screenings.

Bain’s study also flagged concerns on the providers’ side.

Nearly one in five doctors in the Philippines said they were considering switching employers, with lack of recognition or appreciation cited by 61 percent as the leading reason, followed by excessive workload at 49 percent.

At the same time, Filipino physicians were more optimistic than apprehensive about the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, with 82 percent of doctors expressing excitement about incorporating generative AI tools into their work.

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Bain surveyed 6,300 consumers across nine Asia-Pacific markets and 600 doctors in Australia and the Philippines for the study. /pai INQ