By Chrysostomos Tsoufis

Only 10,000 of the 600,000 with debts to the EFKA came forward by March 1 to settle their debts and thus acquire insurance capacity. From them the 170,000 owe only 500 euros but for reasons that even EFKA officials could not explain, they preferred to lose access to private health providers, private doctors, diagnostic centers and clinics (free access to public structures is maintained).

After that, EFKA issued a circular specifying the beneficiaries of granting – extending the insurance capacity for the period from March 1 this year to February 28, 2025:

TENANTS: They must have worked at least 50 days during the previous calendar year or during the last twelve months before the date of occurrence of the insured risk. Construction workers require 50 days of insurance, which includes the 20% surcharge and vacation days.

In order to complete the 50 days of insurance, the subsidy days due to illness or accident or regular unemployment as well as the subsidy days due to suspension of work are taken into account.

NON-TENANTS: They must have completed at least 2 months of insurance during the previous calendar year or during the last twelve months before the date of arrival or occurrence of the insurance risk and the required insurance contributions have been paid. In the event of a debt, the insurance capacity is renewed every month, as long as the debt has been paid or settled in installments and the payment of the installments is observed.

EARTH WORKERS: For workers employed in jobs covered by the insurance of the former OGA – paid by stamp, insurance coverage for health care is provided, provided that they have completed 150 days of insurance in the previous calendar year or the last twelve months before the date of occurrence or occurrence of the insured risk and have been paid the amounts of liquidations for the years 2017-2022.

From the above time limits and conditions excluded together with their family members:

-Insured persons (employed and unemployed registered in the DYPA register) of areas affected by natural disasters (fires, floods)
To the workers at the Skaramanga Shipyards, the Perama Shipyard Repair Zone and the Elefsina Shipyards.
Especially for the unemployed, the provisions that provide for insurance coverage for health care benefits in kind from the EOPYY continue to apply as follows:

-The unemployed up to 29 years of age who have been registered in the DYPA registers for a continuous two months, immediately preceding the submission of their application for inclusion in the insurance of the IKA-ETAM/e-EFKA and hold an unemployment card renewed monthly and are not studying in higher education institutions in Greece or abroad are covered by the IKA-ETAM/e-EFKA for sickness benefits in kind.

-The unemployed – not their family members – who are not insured in any other public insurance organization and attend Vocational Training Programs co-financed or not by the European Social Fund and for the entire duration of the programs, are covered by the IKA insurance- ETAM/th-EFKA for sickness benefits in kind.

-Participants in practical work experience programs, students of A.E.I., T.E.I. and TEE and post-graduate students and PhD candidates who carry out the internship that is statutorily provided for by the study programs are covered during this period by the insurance of the IKA-ETAM/e-EFKA in the occupational accident sector and in the benefits sector disease in kind.

The unemployed between the ages of 29 and 55 are covered if:

-They were insured with any organization for 600 days (increased by 100/per year of age upon turning 30 and up to 54)
– They have been registered in the DYPA registers for at least 12 months prior to the date of their inclusion in the insurance of the relevant insurance organization and hold an unemployment card renewed monthly and are not insured for any reason by the State or an insurance organization.

The possibility of belonging to a branch of illness is also given for them long-term unemployed over the age of 55 as long as they have 3,000 days of insurance in the IKA ETAM. The 3,000 days does not include time in:

-Optional insurance
-Special Self-Insurance account
-Special account of Greeks Abroad
-Military service

In addition, they must have been registered as unemployed with DYPA for a period of at least twelve consecutive months, prior to the date of application for inclusion in the sickness benefits branch of the IKA-ETAM/e-EFKA.