Security camera, illustrative image. Hotnews collage. Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea and George Călin
The Ministry of Health plans to exempt patients with chronic conditions from the regulation regarding the non-payment of the first day of sick leave, which came into force on February 1. But patients with acute conditions will be paid the first day of sick leave only under much stricter conditions.
Patients with acute conditions are those who experience medical problems with a sudden onset and short-lasting (a few days or weeks) but intense symptoms that usually resolve completely after receiving treatment.
These patients will be paid for the first day of sick leave only if they are admitted to the hospital – either as a continuous hospitalization or as a day hospitalization.
What is “common disease”
For acute conditions, doctors – family or specialists – usually issue medical leave for diagnosis code 01 – common illness. This can mean anything from flu, virus, indigestion, back pain to hypertensive crises, allergies, hives, trauma, fractures, contusions, falls or cuts.
“Any condition can be entered on code 01, with the exception of chronic diseases for those that are on special codes – cancer, tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases, etc.,” says Dr. Sandra Alexiu, family doctor in the town of Jilava in Ilfov and president of the Bucharest-Ilfov Association of Family Physicians, in a dialogue with HotNews.
If the specialist doctor can issue up to 90 days of medical leave for an ordinary illness, the family doctor is limited by law to 7 calendar days of medical leave, issued in two stages: 4 days and 3 days of medical leave. Then, if he still feels bad, the patient can go with a referral to the specialist doctor, to extend the medical leave.
Exceptions to non-payment of the first day of sick leave
Following strong criticism from the public space, coming especially from the area of NGOs that defend the rights of patients with chronic conditions, the Ministry of Health has come up with a new project that brings changes. More precisely, it introduces exceptions to the measure regarding non-payment of the first day of sick leave.
The institution led by Alexandru Rogobete published, at the end of last week, in decision-making transparency, a draft of the Emergency Ordinance amending the GEO adopted at the end of last year, which stipulated that the first day of medical leave will no longer be paid for any category of patients, starting from February 1.
The five categories proposed to be exempted:
- patients who benefit from medical services in hospitalization – both continuous hospitalization and day hospitalization;
- persons on maternity leave;
- persons on maternity leave;
- persons on medical leave to care for a sick child;
- patients included in national health programs.
The rules for sick leave are changing again. Exceptions to non-payment of the first day. The 5 categories that will be exempted
