Electronic certificate for incapacity to work will become mandatory

PRESS RELEASE
04.10.2014

On 18, October shall enter into force an amendment to the Health Insurance Act that makes the use of the service of an electronic certificate of incapacity for all employers mandatory from 1 January 2015. It is necessary for employers to join the service in the state portal eesti.ee. Electronic transmission of certificates of incapacity for work makes the records management paper-free, simpler and receipt of certificates of incapacity for work to the employee's account faster.

Until the year 2014, an electronic certificate for incapacity to work (E-TVL) and the paper certificate of incapacity to work were used in parallel. From 01.01.2015 doctors, no longer will issue certificates for incapacity to work on paper.

Temporary benefits for incapacity for work are transferred to the bank account of the person indicated in the database of the Health Insurance Fund. Therefore, it is important that the Health Insurance Fund should have the correct account number of all insured people. You can check your bank account number in the state portal www.eesti.ee (EE) or by calling the helpline of the Health Insurance Fund 16363. The benefit is paid to the bank account of the person within a few days after the transfer of the employer's data.

Previously, certificates for incapacity to work have been processed on paper, and the data necessary for the determination of the benefit has therefore moved slowly. The long process has absorbed the resources of both medical institutions, employers and the Health Insurance Fund. In early 2014 the Health Insurance Fund launched an electronic service of the certificate for incapacity to work, with which the representative of the employer can forward certificates for incapacity to work. As of today, more than 12 000 employers have joined the system which in September submitted electronically more than 70% of the certificates for incapacity to work.

With the new service processing of benefits for incapacity for work becomes significantly more efficient, and benefits are paid faster.

Information on the use of the service is available on the Health Insurance Fund website www.haigekassa.ee (EE), on the Health Insurance Fund helpline 16363 or by email info [at] haigekassa.ee (info[at]haigekassa[dot]ee)