GSIS to give additional P500k life insurance to COVID-19 gov't frontliners

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) said it will provide additional life insurance coverage to 27,682 frontline workers of the government nationwide in the battle against COVID-19.

This was announced in a statemennt by GSIS president and general manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet.

“The GSIS Board of Trustees, headed by our Chairman, former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, recently approved the establishment of the Bayanihan Fund for Frontliners (BFF), which entitles the survivors of government frontliners who died of COVID-19 to receive an additional P500,000 in insurance benefits,” Macasaet said.

“This is on top of the P1-million death benefit to be provided by the government under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Law and the regular life insurance benefit from GSIS,” he added.

The state pension fund said that government frontline workers are automatically covered by the Enhanced Life Program (ELP) of GSIS.

Under the GSIS’s ELP, upon the demise of a member, his or her legal heirs are entitled to an insurance benefit equivalent to 150% of the annual salary of the member.

In addition to this, the same survivors will also receive P500,000 under the BFF program.

“For instance, the legal heirs of a government nurse who earns P30,000 a month will receive P540,000 (150% of the member’s annual salary) in insurance benefits from GSIS upon his or her death. On top of this, the BFF program will pay his or her survivors an additional amount of P500,000 for a total of P1.04 million,” Macasaet said.

“This is to show our appreciation for the courage, heroism and selfless dedication of our frontline workers in government. We hope that this will somewhat help assuage the grief felt by the families left behind by these heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” he said.

Aside from doctors and nurses, the BFF program will cover other GSIS members involved in providing healthcare and assistance to COVID-19 patients such as cardiovascular technologists (ECG, ultrasound), medical technologists, radiologists/X-ray technicians, pulmo-therapists, pulmonologists, nursing aides, pharmacists, ambulance drivers, administrative staff, housekeeping/janitors and security guards, among others.

The BFF insurance cover will be effective from March 1 to December 31, 2020. —LDF, GMA News