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Stay strong !!!
Have you ever wondered how JSIS determines the maximum amount – the so-called “ceiling” – that you are reimbursed for your medical expenses? The answer is, as often, not a simple one but here we will try to explain the calculation.
The JSIS has a long list of treatments and pharmaceuticals in its system. It monitors their prices in Belgium and based on these prices, it determines ceilings for the reimbursable amount for all the different expenditures in Belgium. The financial sustainability of the scheme is another factor that plays a role for the amount of a ceiling.
Continue reading JSIS reimbursement rates – how are they determined?
In the first article about our health insurance system, we introduced the limitations of JSIS cover and the difference between complementary health schemes which usually cover either “hospitalisation only” or “hospitalisation and other medical expenses”.
In the second article of the series we will address the criteria to take into account when choosing such a complementary health scheme. Continue reading Selection criteria for a complementary health scheme
*Update 15.12.2022: ‘We also advise all JSIS members to opt for private complementary insurance to supplement the JSIS reimbursement in the event of major medical expenses (hospitalization, etc.).’ (JSIS, Practical information).* With this article, we start a series of short articles about our health insurance system and the existing possibilities for supplementary health insurance. We do not recommend any specific insurance and, after reading the articles, you might conclude that you do not need anything more than the standard Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) coverage. However, we want to enable you to make an informed decision. Continue reading External health insurance as a supplement to JSIS
EU staff members and their families are covered by a sickness insurance scheme, known as the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (‘JSIS’). In October 2015, following a review conducted under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (‘UNCRPD’), the UN Committee recommended that the European Union should revise the JSIS so as to comprehensively cover disability-related health needs in a manner compliant with the Convention.
This inquiry focused primarily on the criteria used by the JSIS for the recognition of “serious illnesses” in relation to disabilities. This issue has important implications for persons with disabilities since medical costs are fully reimbursed only if the illness being treated is classified as “serious”. Continue reading Medical coverage for disabled staff
Colleagues at DG BUDG are the latest victims of yet another Commission fait-accompli collaborative workspace project.
The administration arguments for the project are the usual promotion of communication between colleagues and enhancing collaboration and teamwork in the services. However, if on one side some jobs may benefit from such type of workspace, forcing it down the throats of everyone and without providing a strong rationale, makes us believe that this is just another cost reduction exercise to be pushed on staff at any cost and under no matter which pretext. Continue reading DG BUDG: the return of the collaborative workspace fad
Imagine you are off for a month over summer… You are having the holiday of a lifetime but it is coming to an end. You really cannot face going back to the office just yet, but you have no more annual leave. Isn’t it tempting to change your flight and call in sick for a couple of days? DG HR thinks you might be tempted and created a specific rule requiring a medical certificate for any sick leave before or after annual leave. Continue reading Sick Leave before or after annual leave
The UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities sets out the legal obligations on States to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. The European Union signed the Convention in 2010. It is legally binding. In the 2016 staff survey, about 6% of all Commission staff declared having long-standing health issues or a disability that affects their daily activities.
The Commission’s policy on disability was an essential concern for Generation 2004 and we were active in this regard at different levels. Especially, through the current Local Staff Committee (LSC) Brussels of which the President is a Generation 2004 member. Continue reading Generation 2004 & actions for our colleagues with disability
Many of us are concerned with the air quality of the cities where we live and work. The Brussels region is slowly waking up on this issue. They recently released data on black carbon pollution levels in Brussels. These measurements are the results of a citizen science program called ExpAir in which some of our colleagues took part. Each participant was given a little box to measure black carbon both outdoor and indoor. Black carbon is a subset of the micro-particles that are subject to the EU legislation on air quality (it makes about 10% of the total mass of PM10 micro-particles, but it is potentially the most harmful part of these particles as it is a direct product of combustion and moreover it can aggregate all sorts of volatile organic compounds that are harmful to our health, including a number of carcinogenic substances). Continue reading Air quality in Brussels
