Pensioners with e-cards get hospital discounts

Government Service Insurance System old-age pensioners who have been issued with e-Cards are entitled to discounts, ranging from 30 to 50 percent, on their hospital bills under the GSIS Hospitalization Support program.

They can avail themselves of the discounts with GHSP partner-hospitals - such as the UST Hospital and Capitol Medical Center in Manila, Lorma Medical Center in La Union, AUF Hospital in Pampanga, and Perpetual Succour Hospital in Cebu by merely presenting their e-Card.

GSIS president and general manager Winston Garcia said to date there are more than 5,200 pensioners who have already availed themselves of the discount benefits under this program.

As a matter of fact, the top three beneficiaries of the program for years 2005 and 2006 were all pensioners, with discounts averaging P320,660 per pensioner.

The success of this program also encouraged the GSIS to look for other partner-hospitals to assist more members and pensioners in their hospitalization needs, he said.

Meanwhile, for the implementation of GSIS e-Card Plus to all GSIS members, all government offices under the GSIS offices are advised that the GSIS will strictly implement the electronic certification of GSIS loans by agency authorized officers.

The GSIS will also disable manual certification to give way to electronic certification in all other GSIS field offices. E-Card Plus enrollment of members started last March 1.

This means that GSIS will no longer accept manually certified applications for Salary and Emergency Loans.

The e-Card system represents the GSIS’ policy shift towards a paperless environment - from the tedious and unreliable manual system to the more reliable and faster electronic system.

It is also irrational to continue maintaining the check system when a superior payment system through the e-Card can do the job more efficiently and effectively, Garcia explained. - Jasmin R. Uy/BRP