Individuals who are insured under the applicable laws shall benefit from medical leave and allowance for taking care of a cancer patient over 18 years of age, if they accompany the patient to surgery interventions and to treatments prescribed by the specialist physician.
Law no. 24/2022 amending Government Emergency Ordinance no. 158/2005 on medical leave and social health insurance allowances introduces a new category of medical leave and social health insurance allowance to which the insured are entitled under certain conditions, i.e. medical leave and allowance for taking care of a patient with oncological diseases (with the patient’s consent) for a maximum 45-calendar day period within one year for one patient.
Also, each year when insured individuals benefit from medical leave to care for a cancer patient, they will be entitled to at least one clinical psychological assessment and minimum five sessions of clinical psychological counseling.
The monthly gross amount of the allowance for taking care of a cancer patient shall be fully covered from the budget of the Unique National Health Insurance Fund.
The above-mentioned legal provisions shall take effect two months after the date of publication in the Romanian Official Gazette (i.e., 16.02.2022), except for the provisions regarding the beneficiary’s right to psychological assessment and counseling, which shall take effect one year after the publication of the law in the Romanian Official Gazette.
By Mihaela Bondoc, Partner, and Daniela Gladunea, Partner, Bondoc si Asociatii
