INFORMATION ABOUT CORONAVIRUS

Pandemic Nursing Benefit

Pandemic nursing benefit is provided during the crisis situation (from March 12, 2020 to its termination).

The amount of the pandemic nursing benefit s 55% of the daily assessment basis or the probable daily assessment basis. Entitled to the pandemic nursing benefit are employees, compulsory sickness insured persons, voluntarily sickness insured persons and natural persons who have exercised the right to pandemic nursing benefit within the protection period after the termination of sickness insurance.

Entitlement to Pandemic Nursing Benefit

School children - procedure

1. In the case of school children whose attendance is compulsory, qualified to the pandemic nursing benefit are only those entitled persons who care for children under 11 years of age (up to 18 years of age for children with a long-term unfavourable health condition), due to the fact that the school / class, of which the child is a pupil was closed by a decision of the competent authority (school director, hygienist).

2. However, if a parent is nursing a sick child under 16 years of age, i.e. a child whose condition has suddenly deteriorated and the attending physician has therefore confirmed the need for nursing (has issued an application for a nursing benefit)the parent is still entitled to a pandemic nursing benefit (in this case the entitlement to a pandemic nursing benefit is not affected by the fact the school/class was closed.

• In this case, the need for nursing has to be confirmed by the attending physician on the form – Nursing Benefit Application Form,

• If the child is being cared for by a doctor in another EU Member State, the doctor needs to confirm the need for nursing on the relevant form in that EU Member State. If the EU Member State does not recognize the benefit "nursing", the attending physician needs to issue an informal certificate containing the relevant facts for the purpose of claiming pandemic nursing benefit (child identification, reason for issuing the certificate - illness, quarantine, isolation, personal and full-time whole day confirmation of nursing and the person who will provide the nursing to the child).

In the case of the care of a child who is a nursery school attendee applies that a parent of such a child is entitled to pandemic nursing benefit only if the nursery school is closed by decision of the competent authority.

It is not possible to receive nursing benefit if the parent decides not to put the child in school / kindergarten only because of coronavirus concerns.

Parents of these children are entitled to pandemic nursing benefit even if the child's health suddenly deteriorates and the attending physician has confirmed the need for nursing on the form – Nursing Benefit Application Form.

Children who are not nursery school attendees - procedure

Parents of children who are not yet nursery school attendees are entitled to pandemic nursing benefit if they decide not to place the child in a nursery school or in the care of a caregiver/au pair for fear of coronavirus.

Parents of these children are entitled to pandemic nursing benefit even if the child's health suddenly deteriorates and the attending physician has confirmed the need for nursing on the form – Nursing Benefit Application Form.

Care for close relatives – procedure

The insured person is entitled to pandemic nursing benefit s/he is caring for a close relative (child, grandson, great-grandson; parent, grandparent, grandparent; sibling, spouse or parent of the spouse) who is provided with care in social services facilities and this facility was closed or s/he is not attending it due to fear of coronavirus.

How to claim pandemic nursing benefit and its payment

The insured must express an interest in having the nursing benefit awarded:

• By filling in the form Nursing Benefit Application Form (claim made during a crisis situation). This form is used for the purpose of claiming pandemic nursing benefit and is submitted by the insured only once during the entire crisis situation or
• By means of a declaration on the original Nursing Benefit Application Form certified by the attending physician (these are cases where the need for treatment is confirmed by the attending physician).

In order for the insured to be paid the nursing benefit at the end of each calendar month in which the insured personally and whole day cared for or personally and whole day nursed the child, or another person stipulated by law, s/he must send the branch a completed Affidavit for the Nursing Benefit Application.

Nursing Benefit Application Form (a claim asserted during a crisis) and an Affidavit for the Nursing Benefit Application can be submitted and sent by the insured person to the Social Insurance Agency (SIA) in the following ways:

Electronically, by sending the electronic form (authentic signature of the insured person is not required)

Attention: this method can be applied only to the Slovak version of the form:

• If the insured has an activated electronic mailbox on the Central Public Administration Portal (Slovensko.sk)
  • to fill in and send the Nursing Benefit Application Form (claim asserted during a crisis situation), click Žiadosť s aktivovaným elektronickým občianskym preukazom (Application with activated electronic ID card) - select the option "Login with eID"
  • to fill in and send the Affidavit for the Nursing Benefit Application Form, click Žiadosť s aktivovaným elektronickým občianskym preukazom (Application with activated electronic ID card) - select the option "Login with eID"
    
• if the insured does not have an activated electronic mailbox on Slovensko.sk, but has a mobile phone to which an SMS notification can be sent
  • to fill in and send the Nursing Benefit Application Form (claim asserted during a crisis situation), click Žiadosť bez aktivovaného elektronického občianskeho preukazu (Application without an activated electronic ID card)
  • to fill in and send the Affidavit to the Nursing Benefit Application Form, click Žiadosť bez aktivovaného elektronického občianskeho preukazu (Application without activated electronic ID card).

English version of the form can only be used by filling in a non-electronic form and its sending by e-mail to the e-mail address of SIA branch.

Application Form/Affidavit has to be sent to e-mail address of SIA branch.

• for filling the Nursing Benefit Application Form (claim asserted during a crisis situation), click HERE
• for filling Affidavit for the Nursing Benefit Application Form, click HERE. Completed form as an enclosure is sufficient to send in the text format  

By post or by inserting to the branch mailbox

This option is used mainly in the case of claiming pandemic nursing benefit through the original Nursing Benefit Application Form issued by the attending physician. Documents sent in this way must be authentically signed by the insured person, regardless of whether the claim is made through the original Nursing Benefit Request Form confirmed by a doctor or the Nursing Benefit Request (claim made during a crisis situation).§ This option is used mainly in the case of claiming pandemic nursing homes through the original Nursing Home Application issued by the attending physician.§ This option is used mainly in the case of claiming pandemic nursing homes through the original Nursing Home Application issued by the attending physician.

Contacts to branches can be found here: Kontakty – pobočky

Nursing Benefit Application Form and Affidavit for the Nursing Benefit Application has to be sent to the address of the locally competent branch (employee according to the employer´s registered office; self-employed or voluntarily insured person according to the permanent residence).

Employee has to inform his/her employer that s/he will be nursing a family member in a manner determined by the employer.

Based on the received first application for a Pandemic Nursing Benefit, the Social Insurance Agency will start proceedings on the Nursing Benefit claim. A decision shall be issued within 60 days from the receipt of the application. After the decision is issued, the nursing benefit is paid monthly in arrears within the deadlines set by the branch.

Pandemic sickness benefit

(sickness benefits paid in connection with a coronavirus pandemic)

Entitlement to the pandemic sickness benefit arises during a crisis situation (at the earliest from March 27, 2020 until its end) related to the spread of COVID 19, if the temporary incapacity for work has been confirmed by the attending physician due to prescribed quarantine or isolation. Entitlement to pandemic sickness benefit arises in such cases from the first day of temporary incapacity for work.

In this case:

1. Contact the attending physician (by phone or e-mail), who will confirm your temporary incapacity for work due to quarantine or isolation on the prescribed form and send it to the Social Insurance Agency,
2. Fill in and send an electronic form to claim the payment of a pandemic sickness benefit
   Attention: the electronic form is only in the Slovak language
   1. If the insured person uses an identity card with an activated chip, click on the Žiadosť s aktivovaným elektronickým občianskym preukazom (Application with activated electronic identity card) and select the option "Login with eID"
   2. If the insured does not have an identity card with an activated chip, click Žiadosť bez aktivovaného elektronického občianskeho preukazu (Application without an activated electronic identity card)
3. If you want to send the application in English, you must fill in the non-electronic form: Pandemic Sickness Benefit Application Form - a claim asserted during a crisis situation and attach it as an e-mail attachment - via the so-called "corona" of the e-mail box of the locally competent branch: E-mail addresses of the branches).
    
   Attention: this form is in English and German language
   The employee should inform the employer about the occurrence of an obstacle at work without delay.