WHEREAS,
the Government realizes and recognizes that the limited life pensions
of some government retirees are hardly sufficient for their
requirements;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, the Philippine Government Retirees Association, Incorporated,
has petitioned that they be covered free of charge under Program
I of Republic Act 6111, otherwise known as the Philippine Medicare Act
of 1969;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, retired government employees have spent the best years of
their lives in the government service;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, considering that the amount necessary to include government
retirees within the coverage of the Medicare Act, which is estimated at
P2.3 million yearly, can be obtained from the surplus funds of the
Medicare;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, the Government Service Insurance System and the Philippine
Medical Care Commission have endorsed the petition of the Philippine
Government Retirees Association, Incorporated, favorably under
certain conditions; chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution
as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and
pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081 dated September 21, 1972 and General
Order No. 1 dated September 22, 1972, as amended, do hereby
decree and order:cralaw:red
Section 1. Medicare coverage shall be extended to all
retirees under Republic Act 660 and to those who retired with gratuity
benefits under Republic Act 1616 who are now 60 years of age or over,
without requiring them to pay contributions.
Section 2. The amount necessary to cover the payment
of Medicare benefits to those mentioned above which is estimated at
approximately P2.3 million yearly shall be taken from the surplus of
the Medicare Insurance Fund under the administration of the Government
Service Insurance System. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 3. Upon implementation of Program II of the
Medicare Act, the privilege of free Medicare coverage hereby granted to
government retirees shall automatically cease.
Section 4. A yearly valuation of the Medicare
Insurance Fund shall be undertaken and in the event that the free
coverage cannot anymore be sustained by the Fund, the National
Government shall guarantee payment of the contributions necessary to
continue the coverage of retirees.
Section 5. The free coverage extended to the
abovementioned retirees shall not be extended to their legal dependents.
Section 6. The Government Service Insurance System
shall adopt rules and regulations to implement this Decree within
thirty (30) days from the date of this Decree.
Done in the City of Manila,
this 6th day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred
and seventy-four.
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