SENIOR citizens can avail themselves of express lanes in all commercial and government establishments.
Where no such express lanes exist, priority shall be given to them. This, according to the “Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.”
It is, thus, inspiring that some establishments like airline ticketing offices, banks, and drugstores do not shirk from this provision.
True, some non-seniors queue up at these lanes. But they bear prescriptions for seniors, authorization letters, and the senior citizens’ Osca card and purchase booklet.
Problem sometimes is that some non-seniors still line up at these priority lanes and the bank tellers forget to enforce the guidelines. I observed this thrice at the Metrobank branch near Crown Regency Bldg. along Osmeña Blvd.
At the airports, personnel who see seniors lining up at the ladies’ restrooms actually usher them to the separate room or cubicle for the elderly or the PWDs. In moments like these, I always say isn’t it just grand to be senior?
Seniors also enjoy the 20-percent discount and exemption from the value–added tax (VAT) on fees of attending physicians.
Did your doctors’ secretaries ever ask for your Osca card? Or in the absence of such, did they automatically apply the 20-percent discount and VAT exemption, even without your say-so?
In fact, doctors’ secretaries do not even issue receipts unless you say so. No, despite the BIR’s reminders, issuing receipts is until now, not yet their second nature, assumedly upon their doctors’ orders.
Senior citizens as well enjoy discounted rates for diagnostic and laboratory fees in all private hospitals, medical facilities, outpatient clinics, and home health care services.
Some facilities, however, do not comply. Worse, branches of the same provider do not have standard rates.
I’ve been getting my reading glasses since I was 21 years old at De los Reyes Optical. So about two months ago, I went to their outlet in Ayala Center. My progressive glasses were smeared and obstructed my reading.
The man said a replacement would cost me P12,000. “You must be kidding,” I said as I walked out the door.
Two weeks ago, I went to their outlet in SM City. They charged me P6,000 something but discounted it to P4,000.
Then, there I was last Saturday with my brothers at LH Prime Medical Clinic along A.S. Fortuna St. in Mandaue City. While in previous years we had our annual lab tests at Hi-Precision along J. Llorente St. this city, we wanted fewer people, ergo faster service.
We chose executive panel Prime Plan I, which the front desk people said was comprehensive enough. When I presented my brothers’ Osca cards for application of the discount and VAT, the personnel said there was no need. All their rates were already discounted.
I read their brochure and asked why the P6,000 couldn’t be discounted for senior citizens. They simply said it was the same price for all.
So, if both seniors and non-seniors paid the same amount, then the non-seniors got discounted rates while the seniors didn’t, right?
The personnel merely said, “We’ll just inform our management about your concern, Ma’am.”
Jeez, I got the same answer last year.
(lelani.echaves@gmail.com)