MANILA – The bill granting mandatory continuing benefits to public, private, and barangay health workers during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic and other future public health emergencies has been approved on second reading by the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The house passed via voice voting House Bill 10701, which intends to promote the welfare of health workers by granting mandatory benefits with utmost efficiency, particularly during a national public health emergency.
Under the bill, a special risk allowance (SRA) shall be provided to all health workers for every month of service during the state of public health emergency.
The amount shall be based on the risk exposure categorization as follows: those deployed in “low risk areas” shall receive at least PHP3,000; those deployed in “medium risk areas” shall be given at least PHP6,000; those deployed in “high risk areas” shall be given at least PHP9,000.
The measure grants compensation for covered health workers who have contracted Covid-19 and such other disease or illness in the line of duty amid a state of public health emergency.
In event of death, PHP1 million shall be handed to the heirs of the covered individuals.
In case of sickness, the covered individuals shall be provided PHP100,000 for a severe or critical case, while PHP15,000 shall be provided for a mild or moderate case.
Health workers who are admitted to a hospital with confirmed Covid-19 infection, or any other disease that is the subject of a public health emergency proclamation, shall be covered in full by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
PhilHealth shall fully cover the cost of mandatory testing of health workers every 15 days or as often as necessary.
