GSIS to probe hospital's refusal to honor eCard

The Government Social Insurance System is to check on the complaints about the refusal of the officials of Perpetual Succour Hospital to honor the eCard of GSIS members who are admitted to the hospital.

This after several members of the Regional Development Council complained that the hospital required them to submit a certification from GSIS before they would be able to avail of a discount in hospital services.

During the meeting of the RDC's Development Administration Committee last Thursday, Madeline Escandor of the National Economic Development Authority, who acted as secretariat, said that many of their employees at NEDA complained on the strict policies of the hospital.

"Many of our employees had complained that they could not avail of discounts. The nuns would not honor their eCards because they are still required to submit a certification from GSIS," she noted.

Edgar Eduardo, GSIS vice president for Visayas and Mindanao, said they do not require members to acquire certification from their office before they could benefit from the program because the eCard is "the mother of all cards" that should be honored even with the absence of a certification.

The only time that a certification will be required is if a member doesn't yet have an eCard. The procedure is adopted to prove one's GSIS membership, Eduardo said.

When The FREEMAN called up Perpetual Succour yesterday afternoon, an employee confirmed that the hospital requires GSIS members to present certifications for them to avail of discounts in hospital services.

"They could present their eCard but it will not be honored if they don't have certification from the GSIS for the health support program," the employee said.

GSIS had signed an agreement with Perpetual Succour to be its partner in the implementation of the insurance agency's Hospitalization Support Program wherein GSIS members can avail of discounts of up to 50 percent on their hospitalization expenses.

Under the program GSIS members and their dependents as well as pensioners can get discounts for hospitalization expenses, professional fees and other expenses from hospitals accredited with GHSP.

Under GHSP, the GSIS provides accredited partner hospitals with state-of-the-art medical equipment, costing up to P55 million for their free use, wherein in exchange these hospitals will provide discounts to its members as well as their families and the pensioners.