Sickness insurance
The aim of sickness insurance benefits is to provide financial security to economically active citizens at the moment when they lose their earnings in the short-term due to illness or maternity.
It is important not to confuse sickness insurance with health insurance. Their purposes are entirely different. Sickness insurance is used to provide financial security to employed persons in the event that they temporarily lose their earnings due to illness or maternity. This agenda is provided by the CSSA, or by the district social security administrations (DSSA) in cooperation with employers.
In addition to Czech legislation, sickness insurance is also regulated by EU legislation, which lays down rules for the coordination of social security systems. For example, Member States mutually recognise incapacity certificates and medical records, benefits may be paid abroad and, if necessary, periods of insurance completed in one Member State may be recognised in another Member State, if required to qualify for the benefit.
Professional help and information related to the specific situation of an individual will be provided by the DSSA and call centre experts on the phone number 800 050 248.
Health insurance is used to cover health care, such as medical treatments, outpatient or hospital treatments, emergency and rescue services, etc., and it is within the scope of competence of health insurance companies. The principles of health insurance differ from principles of social insurance, so it is necessary to always find out about the rights and obligations related to it from the health insurance company with which the person is registered. More on the Health Insurance Bureau.
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Terms
Reduced daily assessment basis
Its basis is the daily assessment basis. This is simply the average daily income for the relevant period – usually 12 calendar months before the month in which the social event occurred (e.g. temporary incapacity for work). Income (assessment bases) in this period are added up, divided by the number of calendar days, and the obtained amount forms the daily assessment basis. According to the Act on Sickness Insurance, it is further reduced via three reduction limits. For self-employed persons, it is based on the sum of the monthly insurance premium bases in the relevant period before taking up the benefit.
Support period
It is the period during which the sickness insurance benefit may be provided. The support period for the provision of sickness benefits lasts for a maximum of 380 calendar days from the date of temporary incapacity for work or quarantine order.
Protection period
It runs after the end of the sickness insurance and it last for 7 calendar days after the end of the insurance, if the insurance lasted for at least this period. The protection period for the entitlement to maternity benefits in cash is 180 calendar days from the date of termination of the insurance for women who were pregnant on the date of termination of employment.
If the insurance lasted for a shorter period, the protection period will only as long as the number of calendar days of insurance.
The purpose of the protection period is to ensure a person’s right to the benefit even after the end of the sickness insurance, if incapacity for work or the right to maternity benefits in cash arises within this period.
Last update: 7. 3. 2024