Section 14June 18, 1954, Sec./Art. 14

Sickness Benefit. (a) A covered employee who has paid at least three monthly contributions in the twelve-month period immediately preceding the semester of sickness and is confined for more than three days in a hospital or elsewhere with the Commission's approval, shall, for each day of compensable confinement or fraction thereof, be paid by his employer, or the SSS, if such person is unemployed, an allowance equivalent to ninety per cent of his average daily salary credit, subject to the following conditions: (As amended by Sec. 3, E.O. No. 28, S-1986)

(1) In no case shall the total amount of such daily allowance be less than seven pesos and fifty centavos nor exceed seventy-five pesos nor paid longer than one hundred twenty days in one calendar year; nor shall any unused portion of the one hundred twenty days of sickness benefit granted under this section be carried forward and added to the total number of compensable days allowable in the subsequent year; (As amended by Sec. 3, E.O. No. 28, S-1986 and Sec. 8, E.O. No. 102, S-1986)

(2) No employee shall be paid any sickness benefit for more than two hundred forty days on account of the same confinement; and

(3) The employee shall notify his employer of the fact of his sickness or injury within five calendar days after the start of his confinement unless such confinement is in a hospital or the employee became sick or was injured while working or within the premises of the employer in which case notification to the employer is not necessary: Provided, That if the member is unemployed he shall directly notify the SSS of his confinement within five calendar days after the start thereof unless such confinement is in a hospital in which case notification is also not necessary: Provided, further, That in cases where notification is necessary, the confinement shall be deemed to have started not earlier than the fifth day immediately preceding the date of notification. (As amended by Sec. 9, R.A. 2658; Sec.

7, R.A. 4857; Sec. 8, P.D. No.

24, S-1972; Sec. 12, P.D. No. 735, S-1975; and Sec.

10, P.D. No. 1636, S-1979)

(b) The compensable confinement shall begin on the first day of sickness, and the payment of such allowances shall be promptly made by the employer every regular payday or on the fifteenth and last day of each month, and similarly in the case of direct payment by the SSS, for as long as such allowances are due and payable: Provided, That such allowance shall begin only after all sick leaves of absence with full pay to the credit of the employee shall have been exhausted. (As amended by Sec. 9, R.A. 2658; Sec. 7, R.A. 4857; Sec. 8, P.D. No. 24, S-1972; Sec. 5, P.D. No. 177, S-1973; and Sec. 14, P.D. No. 735, S-1975)

(c) One hundred per cent of the daily benefits provided in the preceding paragraph shall be reimbursed by the SSS to said employer upon receipt of satisfactory proof of such payment and legality thereof: Provided, That the employer has notified the SSS of the confinement within five calendar days after receipt of the notification from the employee: Provided, further, That if the notification to the SSS is made by the employer beyond five calendar days after receipt of the notification from the employee, said employer shall be reimbursed only for each day of confinement starting from the tenth calendar day immediately preceding the date of notification to the SSS: Provided, finally, That the SSS shall reimburse the employer or pay the unemployed member only for confinement within the one year period immediately preceding the date the claim for benefit or reimbursement is received by the SSS, except confinement in a hospital in which case the claim for benefit or reimbursement must be filed within one year from the last day of confinement.

(As amended by Sec. 9, R.A. 2658; Sec. 1, R.A.

4482; Sec. 7, R.A. 4857; and Sec. 8, P.D. No.

24, S-1972)

(d) Where the employee has given the required notification but the employer fails to notify the SSS of the confinement or to file the claim for reimbursement within the period prescribed in this section resulting in the reduction of the benefit or denial of the claim such employer shall have no right to recover the corresponding daily allowance he advanced to the employee as required in this section. (As amended by Sec. 8, P.D. No. 24, S-1972 and Sec. 12, P.D. No. 735, S-1972)

(e) The claim of reimbursement shall be adjudicated by the SSS within a period of two months from receipt thereof; Provided, That should no payment be received by the employer within one month after the period prescribed herein for adjudication the reimbursement shall thereafter earn simple interest of one per cent per month until paid. (As amended by Sec. 8, P.D. No. 24, S-1972)

(f) The provisions regarding the notification required of the covered employee and the employer as well as the period within which the claim for benefit or reimbursement may be filed shall apply to all claims filed with the SSS beginning January 1, 1973. (As amended by Sec. 8, P.D. No. 24, S-1972)