The House of Representatives Committee on Health has recommended for plenary action bills providing benefits, including special risk allowance, active duty hazard pay, and insurance to public and private health workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The committee, chaired by Rep. Angelina Tan of Quezon, approved House Bills 9640, 10198, 10285, 10331, and 10365 during its virtual meeting Tuesday.
In approving the measures, Tan proposed the benefits that will be provided to health workers, who are at the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19 pandemic, “should not only be monetary.”
Tan was referring to additional benefits that will cover psychiatric treatment for affected health workers which she proposed to be incorporated in the final version of the bill.
She stressed “a comprehensive health care benefits to medical personnel who were also infected with COVID-19” must be extended to the medical frontliners.
Tan said the various measures on the “COVID-19 Benefits for Health Workers Act of 2021” mandate that these benefits should remain available so long as the presidential declaration of a national public health emergency is in place.
“The benefits include monthly special risk allowance for all public and private health workers directly catering to or in contact with COVID-19 patients; actual hazard duty pay for all health workers serving in the front line; and life insurance, accommodation, transportation, and meals to all health workers,” Tan said.
Also, health workers who contract mild or moderate COVID-19 will be given P15,000 each; P100,000 for severe or critical cases; and in case of death, the amount of P1 million to the heirs, she added.
Several benefits were given to health workers under Republic Act 11494, otherwise known as the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act” or Bayanihan 2, which lapsed on June 30 this year.
Tan said that “2021 has been designated as the International Year of Health and Care Workers (YHCW) in appreciation and gratitude for their unwavering dedication in the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic. The World Health Organization has launched a year-long campaign, under the them—“Protect, Invest, Together”, which highlights the urgent need to invest in health workers for shared dividends in health, jobs, economic opportunity and equity.”
“The WHO has in fact called on the public to ensure that our health and care workforces are supported, protected, motivated, and equipped to deliver safe health care at all times, not only during COVID-19 because they are as much needed to accelerate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and COVID-19 recovery”, she explained.
Tan’s committee also approved various bills that seek to establish hospitals in local government units were also approved by the Committee.
The panel likewise revisi ed the PhilHealth Circulars and commitments on House Resolution 1966, authored by Tan, which seeks to inquire into the confusion brought about by the issuances of PhilHealth on the availment of COVID-19 related benefit packages in light of the renewed calls on the part of some hospitals to disengage from PhilHealth over its continued failure to pay reimbursement claims.
The PhilHealth announced that it has adopted the recommendations of the stakeholders which include: non-extendable period for health care providers requirement to answer the Fact-Finding Investigation Report should be increased from 3 days to 10 days; effectivity of TSPC order should be on the date of receipt of the said order; not all claims of a facility should be covered by the TSPC; and the TSPC period should be revised from 120 days to possibly 60 days.
The PhilHealth also said that a grace period shall be given for inpatient claims of probable COVID-19 pneumonia cases admitted from November 26, 2020 to June 18, 2021. However, Tan noted that the same was confusing and sought clarification from the PhilHealth. Dante Gierran, PhilHealth President, said that PhilHealth is going to issue another circular to clarify the matter