Pregnancy benefit

Pregnancy benefit:

The purpose of the pregnancy benefit is to provide the pregnant insured person with an income that will be used to compensate for the increased expenses during her pregnancy. Unlike other sickness benefits, it is also possible to receive pregnancy benefits in addition to work, i.e., during the period when the insured person has an income or receives other benefits (for example, maternity, sickness or parental allowances).

• Entitlement to the benefit arises from the beginning of the 27th week before the expected day of childbirth (the day of occurrence of the entitlement to the pregnancy benefit), i.e., from the 13th week of the pregnancy. The entitlement to the pregnancy benefit expires on the day of termination of the pregnancy.

Terms of claim:

• Existence of health insurance on the day of occurrence of the entitlement to the pregnancy benefit resp. the expiry of the protective period on this day (the protective period is usually 7 days; if the sickness insurance expired during pregnancy, the protective period is eight months). The entitlement to the pregnancy benefit may also occur during interruption of the employee's compulsory sickness insurance due to her parental leave or during the interruption of the compulsory sickness insurance of a self-employed person (hereinafter "SZČO") who is entitled to parental allowance and does not perform any activities of a person with compulsory sickness insurance and/or of a self-employed person with compulsory pension insurance.
• Achieving at least 270 days of health insurance in the last two years. This period may also include the period of interrupted sickness insurance due to taking parental leave or receiving parental allowance. The period of 270 days of health insurance may also include completed periods of sickness insurance obtained in another EU Member State or in a state with which the Slovak Republic has a social security agreement closed, and such agreement includes evaluation of sickness insurance periods.
• In the case of self-employed persons (hereinafter "SZČO") and voluntarily insured persons, payment of sickness insurance premiums on time and in the correct amount is also monitored. Arrears on the insurance premium must be less than 5 Euros.

The amount of the benefit is based on the assessment bases (gross income) achieved in the reference period, which is usually the previous calendar year. The amount of the benefit represents 15% of the daily assessment basis, but it may not be lower than the benefit determined from 10% of the maximum daily assessment basis and it may not be higher than the benefit determined from the maximum assessment basis. Its lowest and highest possible limits are also set. In 2021, the amount of the pregnancy benefit ranges from 215.50 Euros to 333.90 Euros per month.

Insured persons shall claim their entitlement to the pregnancy benefit through the form - Application for Pregnancy Benefit, to be issued by a gynaecologist. After the end of the pregnancy, the relevant attending physician issues the form - Confirmation of the End of Pregnancy. In the case of insured women who are cared for by a medical practitioner in the territory of another EU Member State, for the purposes of claiming their entitlement, the gynaecologist must issue a certificate stating the expected date of birth. Such certificate should contain identification data of the insured woman, as well as the stamp and signature of the gynaecologist. In addition to the confirmation of the gynaecologist, it is also necessary to send the form "Application for Pregnancy Benefit", in which the insured woman states from which sickness insurance she is entitled to the pregnancy benefit, the method of payment of the pregnancy benefit, etc. The form can be found here.

After the end of the pregnancy, the attending physician should issue a certificate of termination of the pregnancy.

The same procedure shall apply if the person is in the care of an attending physician operating in the territory of the states with which the Slovak Republic has concluded a social security agreement (contracting states) or in the territory of non-contracting states, i.e., confirmation is required, stating the expected date of birth by the attending physician.

In the case of non-contracting states, it the confirmation should be submitted also in official translation into the Slovak language.

The above documents should be delivered to the relevant branch of the Social Insurance Agency (employee according to the employer's registered office, self-employers (SZČO) and persons with voluntary sickness insurance according to their permanent residence) by post, in person by placing the documents into the box located near to the entrance of the Social Insurance Office branch or to e-mail address of the branch.

Contacts for branches of the Social Insurance Agency can be found here: https://www.socpoist.sk/kontakty--xly/48023s.

E-mail contacts for branches of the Social Insurance Agency can be found here: https://www.socpoist.sk/e-mailove-adresy-pobociek-socialnej-poistovne/68395s.

Delivery of confirmation of termination of pregnancy proceeds in a similar manner.