Maxicare vs Medicard vs Intellicare: Dental Benefits Compared

Maxicare, Medicard, and Intellicare are the three HMO names Filipinos most often compare when weighing dental benefits — whether you're an HR officer choosing a corporate plan or an employee deciding which offer to accept. All three cover the same core: consultations, yearly cleaning, and simple extractions at accredited clinics. The differences live in the details — cleaning frequency, filling coverage, and network reach.

Here's a practical, side-by-side look at how their dental coverage compares in 2026, and how to choose based on how you actually use dental care.

Quick Comparison: Dental Benefits at a Glance

	Maxicare	Medicard	Intellicare
Consultations	Covered	Covered per visit	Covered
Cleaning (prophylaxis)	Typically 2×/year	1×/year standard; 2× on higher tiers	1–2×/year by plan
Simple extractions	Covered	Covered	Covered
Temporary fillings	Covered	Covered	Covered
Permanent fillings	Limited per year, by plan	Covered with limits, by tier	Rarely; plan-dependent
Gum treatment	Plan-dependent	Palliative care covered	Basic gum care covered
Braces / cosmetic / dentures	Excluded across all three

Details vary by the specific plan your employer negotiated — treat this table as the typical pattern, and your benefits matrix as the authority.

Network Size: Where Can You Actually Use It?

• Maxicare — established 1987 and the largest of the three, with a network including over 700 dental clinics , 1,300+ hospitals and clinics, and 20,000+ affiliated doctors nationwide. If you live outside Metro Manila, this dental-specific network depth is Maxicare's strongest card.

• Medicard — operating under AIA Philippines since its 2023 acquisition, with 650+ accredited hospitals and around 14,000 providers. Its network of free-standing Medicard clinics in major cities is a distinctive plus — you can often get covered dental care at Medicard's own facilities.

• Intellicare — serves over 1.2 million members across 3,000+ corporate accounts, with 2,400+ accredited hospitals and clinics and 69,000 professional affiliations. Dental-specific accreditation is solid in cities but worth checking in your exact area before committing.

Whichever card you hold, accreditation is per branch, not per brand — always confirm your specific clinic location is in-network before booking. You can browse clinics on NgipenHub and check their listed HMO affiliations as a starting point.

The Differences That Actually Matter

Cleaning frequency: the benefit you'll really use

For most members, the covered cleaning is the whole dental benefit in practice. Maxicare's typical two-per-year beats the standard one-per-year — over a three-year corporate stint that's three extra cleanings, roughly ₱3,000–₱4,500 of value at private rates (see our cleaning cost guide ). If comparing corporate offers, ask specifically: how many prophylaxis sessions per year?

Permanent fillings: read the fine print

All three cover temporary fillings, but permanent ones are where plans diverge — Maxicare and Medicard plans often include a limited number per year, while many Intellicare dental riders stop at temporary. Since an uncovered permanent filling runs ₱1,000–₱3,000 (our filling price guide has the full breakdown), a plan that covers two per year quietly adds real value for cavity-prone members.

What none of them cover

Braces, aligners, whitening, veneers, crowns, dentures, implants, and (on most plans) root canals. HMO dental is preventive-and-basic care, full stop. For the big-ticket items you'll pay clinic rates regardless of card — budget with our Philippine dental price guide .

Which One Should You Choose?

• Choose Maxicare if dental matters to you: the biggest dental-specific network and typically two cleanings a year make it the default dental pick.

• Choose Medicard if you live or work near a Medicard free-standing clinic — the convenience of walk-in covered care at the HMO's own facility is underrated, and higher tiers match Maxicare's two cleanings.

• Choose Intellicare if its corporate plan is otherwise stronger (medical benefits usually dominate the decision) — its dental rider covers the essentials; just confirm cleaning frequency and whether permanent fillings are included.

And if you're choosing for a whole company: survey where your employees actually live before picking based on network size alone — a smaller network that covers your people's cities beats a bigger one that doesn't.

Using Any of the Three: The Process Is the Same

Whichever card wins your comparison, the mechanics at the clinic are identical, and knowing them prevents most bad experiences:

1. Verify the branch is accredited — through the HMO's provider search or app, then a confirming phone call. Accreditation is per branch and changes yearly.

2. Bring your card and a government ID. The clinic requests a Letter of Authorization (LOA) from your HMO — that's the payment approval; no LOA, no coverage.

3. Confirm the covered/not-covered split before treatment. The covered cleaning is free; the permanent filling the dentist just found may not be. Get it itemized.

4. Use benefits before the annual reset — unused cleanings don't roll over, on any of the three.

Our step-by-step guide to using your HMO card at the dentist covers the full process, including what to do when the eLOA system is down.

For HR Officers: Questions That Reveal the Real Dental Coverage

Corporate plan brochures blur together; these five questions separate them fast during renewal talks:

• How many prophylaxis sessions per member per year — and does heavy tartar reclassify into uncovered "deep cleaning"?

• Are permanent fillings covered, how many per year, and which materials?

• Is dental bundled or a rider — and what does the rider cost per member if optional?

• What's the accredited dental clinic count in the cities where our people actually live — not the national total?

• Do dependents get the same dental benefits as principals?

A plan that answers those five well beats a bigger brand that answers them vaguely — and your employees' most-used benefit all year is likely to be that covered cleaning.

Don't Forget the Benefits That Exist Outside Your HMO

Whichever HMO you carry, two entitlements stack on top: PhilHealth's preventive oral health package (introduced in 2025 — covered separately through PhilHealth channels; see our PhilHealth dental guide ), and for members aged 60+ or with a PWD ID, the 20% discount plus VAT exemption on out-of-pocket dental services under R.A. 9994 and R.A. 10754. The senior discount even applies to services your HMO excludes — dentures included — which meaningfully changes the math on big-ticket treatment in retirement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which HMO has the best dental coverage in the Philippines?

For dental specifically, Maxicare typically leads on network size (700+ dental clinics) and cleaning frequency (usually twice yearly). But the "best" plan is the one whose accredited clinics are near you and whose tier covers what you use — a Medicard or Intellicare plan can absolutely win on those grounds.

Do these HMOs cover braces?

No — orthodontics is excluded across Maxicare, Medicard, and Intellicare, as with virtually all Philippine HMO dental riders. Braces are out-of-pocket; see our braces cost guide .

Can I have two HMO dental benefits at once?

Yes — for example, your employer's plan plus a spouse's dependent coverage. You can use both (say, one covered cleaning from each), but not for the same visit. Coordinate benefits by telling each clinic which card you're using.

Is an HMO dental rider worth it if I'm healthy?

Usually — the covered yearly cleaning alone typically offsets the rider cost, and covered consultations remove the excuse to skip check-ups. Our dental HMO guide walks through the math.

Use Whichever Card You Have — Today

The worst dental plan is the one that goes unused. Whichever of the three you carry, find an accredited clinic on NgipenHub , book the covered cleaning, and get your card's value back this year.