Baguio City Rep. Mark Go filed House Resolution 1263, urging the Department of Health to discontinue implementation of the purchase slip booklet as a requirement in availing the senior citizens’ 20 percent discount for medicine and related goods.
Go said senior citizens are having difficulties availing of the discount considering they still need to present a purchase slip booklet for every transaction. Also, there has been confusion with Department of Health (DOH) guidelines.
The proposed resolution cited the Senior Citizens Act and its amendments and the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2003 and 2010, granting a 20 percent discount from all transport services, hotels, lodging establishments, restaurants, recreation centers, and medicines.
In 2010, the DOH issued Administrative Order 2010-0032, providing the guidelines to implement the discount on the sale of medicine. It states that the purchase slip booklet is one of the mandatory documentary requirements that a senior citizen shall present to any hospital or medicine retail outlet to avail of the discount. However, in 2012, DOH issued AO 2012-0007, also providing guidelines on the grant of discount to senior citizens on health-related goods and services. In the AO, a requirement to avail of the discount does not include the purchase slip booklet.
“There is an urgent need to clarify the matter and to discontinue the implementation of the purchase slip booklet as a requirement to avail the 20 percent discount to prevent further burden to our senior citizens, Go said. – Press release
