The Luxembourg parliament today approved a bill aimed at improving the provisions of health insurance and long-term care insurance.
At its plenary session of 25 July 2018, the Chamber of Deputies approved Bill 7311 which entails improvements for the benefit of people with long-term illness as regards the 52-week limit and the gradual recovery of work as well as beneficiaries of long-term care insurance.
Firstly, the limit on the right to financial compensation has increased from 52 to 78 weeks for a reference period of 104 weeks, without any new conditions for granting it. With regard to the gradual resumption of work for therapeutic reasons, the bill provides for partial reinstatement of the sick person in his/her employment, if it is recognised as being beneficial to his/her recovery. In addition, during this period the financial health insurance benefits are maintained in their entirety. These changes are the result of long-term work with social partners and aim to substantially improve the situation of people with prolonged illness.
The amendments were adopted during today's vote and allow in particular: for a beneficiary of long-term care entitled to group care to travel outside the home with an escort for up to 4 hours per week; an increase in the maximum length of group care from 40 to 56 hours per week when there is a need for the dependent person to have specific and personalised supervision; to carry out a 4-hour-a-week plan for dependent-care activities in a continuing care facility at 10 hours a week when there is a need for the dependent person to have specialised supervision.
While the amendments to the sickness and maternity insurance scheme will come into force on 1 January 2019, those for long-term care insurance will apply on the first day of the month following the publication of the new provisions in the Official Journal of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.
