[ PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 273, August 14, 1973 ]

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