• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Aside from enjoying benefits under the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program (NOCHP), the Negros Occidental provincial government employees are getting additional healthcare coverage, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson disclosed on Tuesday.
Lacson announced that the P7,000 medical allowance granted to each government employee by the national government will be used for payment towards health insurance premiums.
The annual medical allowance was granted by the Department of Budget to qualified civilian government personnel as a subsidy to avail health maintenance organization (HMO)-type benefits.
By paying health insurance premiums, Lacson said Capitol employees may have greater medical coverage, adding that he wants to ensure that the allowance goes to its intended purpose.
More than 3,000 casual and permanent employees of the provincial government are beneficiaries of the NOCHP.
Lacson, however, said that NOCHP is limited only to P5,000, per beneficiary.
The bigger the benefits, the better for government employees, the governor said.*
