FIRST DISTRICT, Pampanga – Congressman Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. wants participation fees in motor vehicle comprehensive insurance claims removed.
Through his proposed House Bill No. 10005, Lazatin seeks to amend R.A. 10607, otherwise known as “The Insurance Code,” by inserting a new section that will prohibit the collection of participation fees in motor vehicle comprehensive insurance claims.
The new section states that the owner of a damaged motor vehicle covered by comprehensive insurance shall not be required to pay any participation fee or deductible for the cost of repair or the replacement of parts, and any claim for damage sustained by the vehicle covered by insurance shall be paid without requiring the insured to pay, advance, or shoulder any participation fee.
Likewise, deducting any participation fee from the proceeds of the claim shall be prohibited, without prejudice to the right of the party paying the claim to recover against the owner or insurer of the vehicle responsible for the accident.
“A comprehensive insurance policy protects vehicle owners against financial loss from damage or loss of the insured vehicle due to accidents, theft, natural disasters, etc. However, in practice, many vehicle comprehensive insurance policies require the insured to pay a ‘participation fee’ or ‘deductible’ for every claim,” Lazatin said.
“While risk-sharing mechanisms may be used in insurance pricing, participation fees may operate to unduly reduce the actual benefit received by the insured, particularly where the loss was caused by another motor vehicle,” he added.
Earlier, Lazatin also filed H.B. 10003, which calls for the inclusion of infertility treatments in the coverage of health plans or insurance.
Minimum covered services shall include ovulation induction, artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), egg freezing, and such other infertility services, medicines, diagnostics, and procedures as may be determined by the Department of Health (DOH).
Under HB 10003, the DOH shall issue clinical guidelines and minimum standards for infertility treatments benefits, including eligibility criteria, documentation requirements, covered services and medicines, and patient safety safeguards.
“Many people desire to have children of their own, but not everyone is fortunate enough or have the genetic capability to do so. While there are scientific procedures that may aid them, these services are often very expensive,” said Lazatin.
“This measure allows those people to avail of such treatments under their health plans or insurance, which will lower the costs that they will have to incur,” he added.
