Gov't changes the administration of sickness benefits
The primary objective of the government decree is to clarify and update the procedural rules on Health Insurance Cash Benefits and Accident Benefits, according to the explanatory memorandum of the document submitted for public consultation. The cabinet expects the moves to speed up administration for the 4.06 million or so insured people affected, according to the documents submitted for public consultation.
The regulation sets out in detail the role of the paying agencies in the assessment of applications for health cash benefits and accident sickness benefits. If a paying agent needs to obtain previous information from another paying agent or from the health insurance fund in order to clarify the facts, it should contact the competent government office where it is established. The government office must in turn provide the information requested by the paying agency so that the sickness benefit can be paid.
It is also planned to simplify the procedure for claiming travel allowance by removing the obligation to record data in certain cases.
The decree also amends the term "over 16 years" in the eligibility criteria and replaces it with "over 18 years", clarifying the age limits in the legislation. The amended regulation would see the new rules come into force from 1 January 2024.
Cover photo: Getty Images
