Reimbursement for COVID-19 Testing

June 15, 2021

OCA CIRCULAR NO. 80-2021

 

Pursuant to the Resolution of the Court en banc in A.M. No 21-04-10-SC dated 4 May 2021, "[a]cting on the Letter dated April 29, 2021 of Associate Justice Mario B. Lopez and Memorandum dated April 28, 2021 of Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez," the draft OCA Circular for the reimbursement of COVID-19 Testing has been approved, as follows:

Considering that the number of COVID-19 cases nationwide still appears to be increasing, including among court employees, COVID-19 testing for judges and court employees has become necessary to ensure the health and safety of everyone while the courts continue to operate, and to avoid further transmission of the virus. Accordingly, with the concurrence of the members of the Court en banc, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo has approved the reimbursement of the cost of COVID-19 test incurred, subject to the following guidelines:

1. Only judges and court personnel of the first and second level courts who developed symptoms of COVID-19 or considered close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases may request for reimbursement.

2. Both the Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid antigen tests may be reimbursed. However, RT-PCR testing must be conducted by laboratories duly licensed by the Department of Health listed in its website. 1

3. Judges and court personnel may request for a maximum reimbursement of (Five Thousand Pesos) P5,000.00 for RT-PCR tests and (Two Thousand Pesos) P2,000.00 for antigen tests.

4. The judge or court personnel requesting reimbursement shall submit a letter-request, noted by the Executive/Presiding Judge, to the Financial Management Office (FMO), Office of the Court Administrator (OCA).

5. The letter-request shall indicate the reason for getting a COVID-19 test, amount paid, type of test, date and place the test was conducted, and name of the laboratory which conducted the test.

6. The Official Receipt, Disbursement Voucher, 2 Obligation Request and Status, 3 and other supporting documents shall be submitted together with the letter-request. Electronic copies of the letter-request and its supporting documents may be sent in advance to [email protected] to expedite the processing thereof but the original copies must still be submitted to the FMO-OCA.

This Circular shall apply retroactively.

For your information and guidance.

(SGD.) JOSE MIDAS P. MARQUEZCourt Administrator

ANNEX A

Disbursement Voucher

ANNEX B

Obligation Request and Status

 

Footnotes

1. doh.gov.ph/licensed-covid-19-testing-laboratories

2. Annex A.

3. Annex B.