HireSmart Health Insurance Coverage for VEs — Sheryl’s Story.
Sheryl tried to ignore the terrible pain in her stomach.
“I was thinking I could make it without going to the hospital, but there was one day where I could not take it anymore,” she said.
The HireSmart Virtual Employee, who lives in the Philippines and assists a property management client in the U.S., went to the emergency room seeking relief.
“I was grateful to have health insurance at that time,” Sheryl said of her coverage through HireSmart. “That was during Covid time, and most of the hospitals in the Philippines were full. So, if they know you cannot pay, they will not allow you to be admitted to the hospital.”
Sheryl said it’s awful to see fellow Filipinos waiting outside hospitals, unable to be treated.
“For our health care system in the Philippines, they would ask when you go there for a deposit — money that you have to give to the hospital to be able to treat you,” said the Cainta resident in the province Rizal. “But if you don’t have enough money, they would cut the treatment for you. So technically, you would not be able to get the treatment needed. It’s heartbreaking when you see fellow Filipinos standing outside waiting.”
Sheryl got the care she needed, and she recovered after going on a strict diet for three months.
But soon after her hospital stay, one of her three teenage sons was stricken with Dengue fever.
“And since he is enrolled with my health insurance with HireSmart, he was able to use the benefit also for the medical coverage,” she said, adding that he spent two weeks in the hospital but is now recovered.
Sheryl worked for 14 years in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) for US Telecom companies. But she’s worked for HireSmart for over two years and is delighted with the move. The pay is better, and she says eliminating traffic congestion from her routine is lovely. She recalls getting stuck in traffic and sprinting from her car to the office to avoid being late.
“Here in the Philippines, the traffic is terrible,” she said. “I’m thankful to work here from home. I don’t have to travel and be stressed about how many hours I’ll spend on the road just to be there. Working from home is a big benefit because I can work conveniently at my home office and have enough time to care for my kids.”
Sheryl is a self-proclaimed “foodie” who enjoys spending time with her friends, trying out restaurants, and watching serious documentaries. But the primary aim of the single mom is to be present for her sons and give them every opportunity she can.
“My eldest would like to work in computers and programming,” said Sheryl. “The other two don’t have a specific pathway, but I don’t push them. Maybe they’ll be able to see what they enjoy doing. I want to support them with what they want rather than push them to do something I want.”
Sheryl feels HireSmart is the best place to earn good money, protect her family with health insurance, avoid bad traffic, and be present for her sons.
“I’m thrilled and thankful that HireSmart hired me to be a part of their company and team because they’re very helpful and supportive to all their employees,” she said. “I’m also happy that they provide their employees with health and other benefits. Not all companies that hire virtual assistants provide health benefits. So, I’m happy that they’re providing it to their Virtual Employees (VEs). It’s one way of letting us feel and know that we are important to them and that they care for their employees. I’m thrilled working with them and trying to stay as long as possible here in the company.”
Sheryl also said she has a blast with the company’s online parties.
“We do have parties, virtual ones!” she exclaimed. “You’ll see bosses Anne & Mark Lackey and your co-workers having fun. It’s a way of meeting fellow VEs, getting to know each other and knowing what other co-VEs do. You get to chat with them. If you experience something bad, like typhoons and things like that, HireSmart is always there to help its employees. I’m thankful to them for that, and I’m sure other employees that HireSmart has are also thankful for all the benefits they’re giving us.”
If you have what it takes to be a Rockstar VE like Sheryl and want to enjoy the benefit of having health insurance coverage, join our HSVE team! Apply here.
Book a call with us if you want to find out more how a HireSmart VE can help you and your business. Discover us here.