Allowances for public health workers are subject to conditions

Jose Mari Tolentino, senior vice president of PhilHealth’s legal sector, says the Supreme Court classified the state insurer’s personnel as public health workers

MANILA, Philippines – Allowances for public health workers (PHWs) are subject to other conditions, the Commission on Audit emphasized as it affirmed with finality its January 31, 2020 decision upholding the notice of disallowance (ND) it issued to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

The ND came after PhilHealth gave its employees cash perks — hazard pay, subsistence allowance, and laundry allowance — totaling P95.462 million in 2014.

The state insurer sought to have its ND lifted. Jose Mari Tolentino, senior vice president of PhilHealth’s legal sector, said the Supreme Court classified the state insurer’s personnel as PHWs and are therefore entitled to certain cash perks under the National Health Insurance Act (RA No. 7875).

However, PhilHealth’s motion for reconsideration was denied by COA last week, with the Commission saying the state insurer was merely rehashing old arguments that have already been considered and overruled.

“It is the consistent position of this Commission that even if they are PHWs, the entitlement to the benefits is not absolute as it is subject to the other conditions under RA No. 7305 or the Magna Carta of PHWs and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR),” the 15-page COA ruling read.

For a PHW to qualify for hazard pay, they must be assigned in hospitals or health facilities that handle contagious or communicable diseased, working within radiation-exposed areas, chemical and medical laboratories working on infectious specimen, conflict zones, or correction and drug rehabilitation centers where there may be risks of physical harm.

Subsistence allowance, meanwhile, is only given to PHWs who are on-call “at any and all times” while assigned to a government hospital or any government institution.

“The [High] Court has previously discussed that the award of WESA (welfare support allowance) or subsistence allowance is not a blanket award to PHWs and that it is granted only to those who meet the requirements of RA No. 7305 and its IRR, and thus, a sweeping grant of the same justifies its disallowance,” the Commission said.

Meanwhile, laundry allowance is only given to PHWs who work in health-related establishments. – Rappler.com