The medically insured persons diagnosed with COVID-19 receive an allowance for temporary incapacity for work, as in the case of other diseases. The medical institutions indicate the “ordinary disease” category in medical certificates.
In a response to IPN, the National House of Social Insurance (CNAS) said the allowance for temporary incapacity for work caused by ordinary diseases or accidents that are not related to work is paid by the CNAS with resources form the state social insurance funds, except for the first five calendar days, which are paid by the employer, but only for 15 days cumulatively during a calendar year if there are several periods of temporary incapacity for work.
Starting with the sixth calendar day of temporary incapacity for work, while in the case of several periods of temporary incapacity for work starting with the first day after the expiry of the 15 cumulative days paid by the employer, the allowance is paid with resources form the state social insurance funds. The insured person is entitled to temporary incapacity for work if this loses the insured income for the whole period of the medical leave at all the units where he/she works.
The allowance for temporary incapacity for work paid by the employer is set at 75% of the average salary of the employee.
Contacted by IPN for a comment, Rodica Gramma, teacher of the “Nicolae Testemițanu” School of Public Health Management, said it is absolutely normal for COVID-19 to be classed as “ordinary disease” as the suffering cannot be measured by particular parameters. “In this case, it would be a positive discrimination notion and we would underline that COVID-19 is so serious that we would ignore the severity of other diseases that produce similar suffering. In this case, the patient would say “did I suffer less”? We cannot determine which diseases are ordinary and which are not ordinary by comparing the suffering,” stated Rodica Gamma. According to her, 80% of the patients with COVID-19 suffer from mild forms and the classification should not be thus changed.
In a response for IPN, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection said the social insurance benefits are intended for insured persons with the domicile or residence in the Republic of Moldova and jobless persons who are entitled to unemployment benefit. The monthly calculation basis on which the employer pays social insurance contribution consists of the labor remuneration fund and other recompenses. The calculation basis of the allowance for temporary incapacity for work caused by ordinary diseases or accidents that are not related to work consists of the monthly average insured income for the last 12 calendar months prior to the month when the insured risk occurred.
Furthermore, under the law on allowance for temporary incapacity for work and other social insurance benefits, allowance for temporary incapacity for work is not paid for the days during which the insured person was on unpaid leave at all the units, for the period of the suspension of the individual work contract or other contracts for the execution of works or provision of services.
