The PLHIV's who work for government and the private sectors in the Philippines are required to provide the PhilHealth Form CF1 every time they go back to the HIV/AIDS treatment hubs for their refill of ARV's, which is usually every 3 months. This is the form certifying that the employee is an active contributor of PhilHealth. This is a requirement under the Out-patient HIV/AIDS Treatment package (OHAT) of PhilHealth.The Dilemma
Generally this is easy for employees to procure the form in their Human Resources Department. However, in the case of PLHIV's, this maybe difficult because:
1. PLHIV's keep on coming back to the HR Department and request for the CF1 every 3 months
2. The HR Personnel of most companies ask the PLHIV's as to the purpose of the procurement of the CF1
3. Because of the stigma placed on HIV, the PLHIV's become confused as to how not to disclose his status. Most PLHIV's keep on inventing reasons why they need the CF1 to the HR personnel
4. PLHIV's to avoid being questioned by HR personnel resort to paying also the voluntary contributions. This means that they are both an employee-member and an individual-paying-member, paying P300-P400 monthly, just to avoid the scrutiny and frequent questioning of the HR personnel.
Who's To be Blamed For This?
Of course there is a big discussion about this. There are questions that need to be answered here.
1. Why can't PhilHealth accept just the payslips of employee-members when it shows there that the employee is an active member.
2. Why can't the HIV/AIDS treatment hubs have access to PhilHealth membership data when they are already PhilHealth accredited under the OHAT Package.
3. Why do PLHIV's have to go around getting forms when hubs are both connected with DOH and PhilHealth.
4. Why is it that the employer's representatives have to ask questions as to the purpose of the CF1 when in the form itself, it wasn't even specified as to the purpose of the procurement of it. The CF1, based on the form itself, requires a signature by the employer's representative just to ONLY certify the the PLHIV is an active member of PhilHealth, and
“that all monthly premium contributions for and in behalf of the member, while employed in this company, including the applicable three (3) monthly premium contributions within the past six (6) months period prior to the first day of this confinement, have been deducted/collected and remitted to PhilHealth, and that the information supplied by the member or his/her representative on Part I are consistent with our available records.”
So What Can PLHIV's Do?
1. State your reason for getting the CF1 as "Personal Purpose".
I called the PhilHealth office and I pretended to explain that the HR staff is giving me a hard time in providing me the CF1 form and keeps on asking for the reason why I need it. I told the PhilHealth staff if I need to disclose my status, which is a sensitive diagnosis, and she said no, because the CF1 is only a certificate that I am an active member of PhilHealth.
2. If in case the HR people still would pry about your illness even though you said that it is for Personal Purpose, have them sign on a piece of paper this:
"This is to certify that the HR Personnel of my company _________, is giving me a hard time and keeps on asking why I need the CF1 even though I told them that it is for "Personal Reasons"
Signed: ______________ (name of HR personnel)
Of course they won't sign it, but in case they would, get the copy and send it to your HR Manager, or even to NLRC, DOLE or PhilHealth itself. Your company can't be sued because of this, however, some ways can be corrected by giving more attention to this.
The CF1 is just a certificate. It just certifies that you are an active member of PhilHealth. You have the right to ask for it because you are paying for it. Period. And there should be no questions asked!
I called the PhilHealth office and I pretended to explain that the HR staff is giving me a hard time in providing me the CF1 form and keeps on asking for the reason why I need it. I told the PhilHealth staff if I need to disclose my status, which is a sensitive diagnosis, and she said no, because the CF1 is only a certificate that I am an active member of PhilHealth.
2. If in case the HR people still would pry about your illness even though you said that it is for Personal Purpose, have them sign on a piece of paper this:
"This is to certify that the HR Personnel of my company _________, is giving me a hard time and keeps on asking why I need the CF1 even though I told them that it is for "Personal Reasons"
Signed: ______________ (name of HR personnel)
Of course they won't sign it, but in case they would, get the copy and send it to your HR Manager, or even to NLRC, DOLE or PhilHealth itself. Your company can't be sued because of this, however, some ways can be corrected by giving more attention to this.
The CF1 is just a certificate. It just certifies that you are an active member of PhilHealth. You have the right to ask for it because you are paying for it. Period. And there should be no questions asked!
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Tags: HIV Manila, HIV Philippines, AIDS Manila, AIDS Philippines, HIV/AIDS Manila, HIV/AIDS Philippines