Health Insurance Fund proposes stricter sick leave controls

Zlatko Perinski, Director of the Health Insurance Fund, has announced proposed changes to sick leave regulations aimed at strengthening controls and preventing potential abuses. A key proposal involves reducing the number of days a primary care physician can issue for sick leave from seven days to five. Perinski stated that five days should be sufficient for further medical assessment or for extending leave through proper procedures.

In August alone, the Fund paid out over 623 million denars for sick leave, including 414 million denars for maternity leave. To ensure accountability, the Fund plans to implement joint controls with the Public Revenue Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. These inspections will be conducted based on employer reports or through random selection. If an insured person is not found at their registered home address during a check, they will be required to appear before a medical commission to provide an explanation.

Previous inspections conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs identified irregularities in approximately 30 percent of the sampled sick leave cases, resulting in fines. The Fund also intends to simplify procedures for individuals who are physically unable to visit a doctor to regulate their sick leave.