INSS suspends expertise in reviewing sick pay after Covid-19 cases rise

The INSS (Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social) suspended the performance of the expertise to review the sickness aid, due to the increase in cases of Covid-19 in the country. The decision was published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday (11) and took effect on January 12.

The INSS and the SPMF (Subsecretariat for Federal Medical Expertise) determined the suspension of the expertise “in view of dealing with the public health emergency of international importance arising from the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19)”, according to the statement published in the Diário Official.

In August 2021, the INSS’s fine-tooth comb operation summoned 170,000 beneficiaries of temporary disability aid (sickness allowance) for expertise.

In September, the INSS again summoned more than 95,000 policyholders, who had not been located by the agency or responded to the summons until then, to schedule the expertise until November 11th. More than 10,000 policyholders in the state of São Paulo were in this situation.

The summons determined suspension of payment of the benefit if the insured did not schedule the expertise within the deadline or did not appear on the scheduled date. Payment could be cut permanently after 60 days of suspension.

The suspension of the review examinations, published this week, does not apply to the medical examination efforts that were already scheduled and with trips defined by the SPMF, according to the statement.

Pilot program will test expertise via telemedicine

Ordinance published by the INSS in the Official Gazette on Tuesday (11) also instituted a pilot program to carry out medical expertise via telemedicine.

The ordinance created the program “Medical Expertise with the Use of Teleassessment” in compliance with a precautionary measure issued by the Federal Audit Court. technical cooperation with the INSS, says the text.

A pilot project script, for internal circulation, says that the use of telemedicine will only be allowed for the initial application of the temporary disability benefit. It should not, therefore, include the expertise of review or extension of aid.

Also according to the text, online expertise will only be carried out on the premises of companies that have a formalized cooperation agreement with the INSS. They must be requested by the company, they will be carried out via a videoconferencing platform and their recording will be prohibited, according to the document.

(Fernanda Brigatti collaborated)