The government announces today that they will develop health insurance for students. They will introduce an opportunity for students to be on sick leave on a part-time basis, they will review the long waiting period, and they will submit proposals on how students on sick leave should be entitled to rehabilitation upon return to studies. SFS welcomes the news. We have been pointing out the need for these measures for a long time.
SFS has long pointed out several serious shortcomings in the health insurance system for students. Among other things, we ran the campaign #heltsjukt with a focus on four points.
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Students cannot be on part-time sick leave.
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Students have 30 qualifying days in case of illness.
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The health insurance is linked to the study grant. If you do not take study grants, you are not insured.
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For students who are on sick leave, there is no rehabilitation back to studies.
Today, the government announced that it will take important steps towards full-fledged health insurance for students:
Some students must be able to take sick leave part-time. As a first step, the Government proposes that students with special reasons should be able to be on sick leave on a part-time basis from 1 July 2018. The proposal includes that those who take sick leave on a part-time basis will receive compensation corresponding to full-time studies.
A more general possibility of part-time sick leave must be investigated. Initially, the possibility of part-time sick leave must be a limited number of illnesses. The government will investigate how the opportunity can be expanded. A proposal must be presented no later than 28 February 2018.
The waiting period for students will be reviewed. Today, students have 30 qualifying days. It can be compared to regular employees who have en qualifying day. The many qualifying days make many students struggle with their studies, even though they really should be on sick leave. Since they cannot receive sickness compensation, they have to rely on study grants. If they are then too ill to be able to complete their studies, this may mean that they will not be entitled to study grants later. A proposal for fewer qualifying days can be expected on 28 February 2018.
The responsibility for rehabilitation must be clarified. Today, students on sick leave have no right to rehabilitation back to studies. When a student on sick leave returns to studies, they are expected to be able to participate fully and with the same conditions as if they were fully healthy. In employment, on the other hand, there is a clear responsibility on the part of the employer to adapt the work based on the conditions of the person who goes from illness back to work. That opportunity is important for those who have become healthy to also stay healthy. A proposal on how the rehabilitation responsibility for students should be designed will, together with a proposal on part-time sick leave and qualifying period, on 28 February 2018.
In addition to the measures in the health insurance, the government announces that the deductible will be reviewed. The deductible is the limit for how much a student may earn from work before the study grant is reduced. It is especially worth noting that salary from summer jobs is included in the tax-free amount, despite the fact that many students are not entitled to study grants during the summer and are therefore more or less forced to work in summer. When many students have to work extra to make the economy go together, it is good to ensure that the tax-free amount is not too low. It is reasonable to look specifically at the tax-free amount in relation to the difference between working extra during the semesters and in the summer. The Government announces that they will present a report on 31 August 2018. The report must also contain a part linked to how an early transition from upper secondary school to university affects the student's performance.
It is more than two years since the Parliamentary Social Insurance Inquiry issued its final report. It is high time that these proposals now become a reality. We welcome the news. Now we know what to watch for after the summer and make sure it really gets off. This problem is too important to stay in yet another investigation.