00:00Government employees will get a much-needed lifeline in the form of health maintenance organization or HMO type of assistance that will help them shoulder their medical needs and not to worry too much about the constant day-to-day bills that often overwhelm many of those who are in public service.
00:19PTV's Noel Talacay tells us more.
00:22Bernabe, a senior citizen and a government employee, says he can feel that his body is in deterioration nowadays due to aging, however, resists any visits to the doctor for fear he could not pay even for a checkup.
00:41When I see a doctor, I feel relaxed.
00:56He says his salary is enough to feed his family, pay the bills, and support other daily or essential needs.
01:04I am trying to save money because I don't have any other thoughts but to pay my daily expenses.
01:34The DBM says the medical allowance can be used to cover or at least defy the cost for the health maintenance organization or HMO policy for government employees, but this can be given as cash, according to the DBM.
02:01If government employees are paying directly to the hospitals such as emergency care, diagnostic tests, and medicine.
02:09For non-HMO government employees should have these three reasons for having difficulty in acquiring HMO.
02:18One is remote address location or one's community is in a far-flung area.
02:24Second, no HMO branch or company available.
02:28Third is the HMO application was denied.
02:31Meanwhile, DBM Secretary Amena Pangandaman expressed gratitude to President Ferdinand Marquez, Jr. for signing the medical allowance law, which is not only for benefits but securing healthy manpower for government staffing needs and competence in the workplace.
