AMENDING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED SIXTY-ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “PHILIPPINE MEDICAL CARE ACT OF 1969.”

WHEREAS, actuarial studies indicate that the Health
Insurance Fund of Program I of the Philippine Medical Care Plan has a sizeable
reserve after settlement of all claims against it; and

WHEREAS, such Health Insurance Fund reserve permits an
increase in the extent and scope of benefits of the beneficiaries of the
Plan;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution as
Commander-in-Chief of all 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 order and decree, that:

SECTION 1. Section 5 (d) of Republic Act Sixty One Hundred
Eleven, otherwise known as the “Philippine Medical Care Act of 1969,” is hereby
amended to read as follows:

“(d) To authorize actuarial studies for the purpose of determining and
fixing, from time to time, the contributions necessary and the extent and scope
of benefits of the beneficiaries of the Plan as its resources may permit in
order to ensure adequate financing and disbursement of funds to all participants
in the Plan; And, whenever the resources of the Plan permits without
necessitating additional contributions from the employees and employers, the
Commission shall effect increases in the extent and scope of benefits of the
beneficiaries of the Plan.”

SEC. 2. Section 13 (b) of the same Act is hereby amended to
read as follows:

“(b) Special charge expense benefit for charges necessary for the care of the
employee, such as laboratory examination fees, drugs, X-ray and the like, not to
exceed one hundred fifty pesos.”

SEC. 3. Section 14 of the same Act is hereby amended to read
as follows:

“SEC. 14. Surgical Expense Benefit. — Under such
rules, regulations and/ or conditions as the SSS or GSIS may prescribe, subject
to the approval of the Commission, an employee who shall have undergone a
surgical procedure in a hospital shall be entitled to surgical expense benefits,
as may be determined by the SSS or the GSIS, as the case may be, taking into
account the nature and complexity of the procedure as follows:

(a) Surgeon’s fees not to exceed fifty pesos for a minor operation, one
hundred fifty pesos for a medium operation and three hundred fifty pesos for a
major operation;

(b) Anesthesiologist’s fees not to exceed twenty five pesos for a minor
operation, fifty pesos for a medium operation and one hundred pesos for a major
operation;

(c) Operating room fees not to exceed twenty pesos for a minor operation,
forty pesos for a medium operation and sixty pesos for a major
operation.”

SEC. 4. Any provision of existing law, rule, regulation or
order that is contrary to, or inconsistent herewith is hereby repealed or
modified accordingly.

SEC. 5. The benefits provided by this Decree shall
be effective as of July 1, 1973.

SEC. 6. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 14th day of August, in the year of Our Lord,
nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

			(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President Republic of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) ROBERTO V. REYES
		Assistant Executive Secretary