At the continuation of its 33rd session, the Managing Board of the Health Insurance Fund unanimously adopted changes to the Rulebook on the criteria for determining temporary incapacity for work.
A primary care physician will continue to have the authority to determine sick leave for up to 15 days, while a Fund medical commission decides on periods exceeding 15 days. The Fund clarifies that shifting the interval from seven to five days does not mean that sick leave ends on the fifth day, but rather that after that timeframe, if an extension is required, the medical criteria specific to the given diagnosis are applied.
The changes also introduce, among other things, several procedural simplifications for insured individuals and primary care physicians, as well as for pregnant women and nursing mothers regarding radiodiagnostic examinations involving ionizing radiation when the medical condition is confirmed by a specialist report.
The Fund explains that the changes are the result of several months of professional work and analysis of the criteria, a significant portion of which dates back to 2012.