Mega Act (ZIUZEOP): Health care and social protection (3/5)
On 2 April 2020, the National Assembly adopted an Act on the intervention measures to mitigate the consequences of the communicable disease SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) epidemic for citizens and the economy (Act). The Act entered into force on 11 April 2020, the day after its publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.
The Act provides for the rules regarding (1) deferral of borrower’s payment obligations, (2) employment relationship and payment of social security contributions (3) health and social security, (4) enforcement, insolvency and other financial obligations, and (5) other areas of law. This section is intended for the presentation of novelties regarding health care and social protection.
Health care and health insurance
Compensation during the temporary restraint from work due to illness or injury is fully covered by the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (OZZ compensation), for the following time period: since the enactment of this Act and until (i) termination of reasons for temporary restraint from work or (ii) until the reasons for the measures referred to in this Act have ceased, but no later than 31 May 2020.
The amount of the OZZ compensation is:
- for the worker – 80 percent of worker’s salary for the previous month and for a full-time;
- for sole proprietors – the amount of the OZZ compensation depends on the type of illness or injury as defined in the table below:
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Compensation basis: average monthly salary and compensations or average basis for payment of contributions in the calendar year preceding the year, in which temporary restraint from work occurred. |
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| Type of illness or injury: | Amount of OZZ compensation: |
| Occupational disease, injury at work, donations and the consequences of donating living tissue and organs for the benefit of another person, the consequences of donating blood | 100 percent of compensation basis |
| Isolation ordered by the doctor | 90 percent of compensation basis |
| Disease (other than occupational disease) | 80 percent of 90 percent of compensation basis |
| Out-of-work injury and an escort of a family member ordered by a doctor | 70 percent of 80 percent of compensation basis |
| Care of a family member | 80 percent of compensation basis |
Method of reimbursement of OZZ compensation (chronological order):
- employer or sole proprietor must file a request for reimbursement of OZZ compensation in electronic form with the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia no later than on 30 September 2020;
- Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia:
- reimburses the OZZ compensation amount to the employer within 60 days of the submission of his request for reimbursement of the OZZ compensation;
- pays the OZZ compensation amount to the sole proprietor within 30 days of the submission of his request for payment of the OZZ compensation.
Social protection, rights from public funds and the exercise of parental rights
Retirees with permanent residence in the Republic of Slovenia and recipients of disability insurance compensation, who are unemployed and with permanent residence in the Republic of Slovenia, are entitled to one-time solidarity support. The amount of the support depends on their amount of pension / disability insurance compensation, as follows from the table below:
| Amount of pension / disability insurance compensation | Amount of solidarity support |
| from EUR 500.00 | EUR 300.00 |
| from EUR 500.01 to 600.00 | EUR 230.00 |
| from EUR 600.01 to 700.00 | EUR 130.00 |
A one-time solidarity support of EUR 150.00 shall be paid to (i) all full-time students with permanent residence in the Republic of Slovenia and to (ii) beneficiaries of financial social assistance or social security support under the law governing social security supports for the month of April 2020, which are not entitled to one-time solidarity support for retirees.
Rights from public funds (i.e. rights that depend on a person’s financial position and are decided by social work centres), which have expired in March 2020 or during the implementation of provisional measures of this Act, shall be extended monthly for a period of one month for the time of duration of provisional measures of the this Act.
Until the end of the epidemic, the amount of the support for large families will be increased by EUR 100.00 per family with three children and by EUR 200.00 per family with four or more children.
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Our law firm is actively following the latest COVID-19 developments. As always, you can contact us via e-mail or telephone +386 (0)1 2445500, or you can directly contact the lawyer you are generally in contact with.
Law Firm Kavčič, Bračun & Partners, o.p., d.o.o
Ljubljana, 3 April 2020
All information contained herein is based on applicable law or obtained from publicly available data or other sources believed to be reliable. This document is for general information purposes only, may be subject to change and may not be used instead of a legal opinion/advice. KBP does not guarantee the accuracy of the information and shall not be liable for any damages or costs in connection with the use of, or reliance on, the information contained herein.