First reading of the Draft Act on Amendments to the Health Insurance Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (717 SE)
Session: The 15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Plenary Sitting
Date: 2025-10-08 22:10
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 21
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 31m
AI Summaries: 21/21 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Riigikogu debated the first reading of Bill 717, initiated by the Government of the Republic, concerning amendments to the Health Insurance Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Social Minister Karmen Joller introduced the four main amendments of the bill, the goal of which is to make the system fairer, more flexible, and more efficient. The amendments include shortening the period during which part-time work is possible during a long-term illness from the 61st day to the 31st day, making voluntary health insurance payment terms more flexible (allowing payments in installments), ending the double payment of unemployment insurance benefits and sickness benefits, and changing the basis for calculating sickness benefits for pregnant women.
The last amendment, under which benefits for pregnant women will be calculated based on income from the previous calendar year (MTA data) instead of data submitted by the employer, sparked a lively discussion among members of parliament. Riina Solman and Rain Epler expressed concern that this could negatively affect women who were on parental leave the previous year or whose salary had increased immediately before pregnancy. Minister Joller and Irja Lutsar, representative of the Social Affairs Committee, justified the change by citing the need to reduce the administrative burden on the Health Insurance Fund (Tervisekassa) and prevent system abuse related to inaccurate salary data submitted by employers. The report from the Social Affairs Committee revealed that ending the double benefits will have a positive impact of 1.2 million euros on the 2026 state budget. The first reading was concluded.
Decisions Made 2
The first reading of Bill 717 was concluded.
The deadline for submitting amendments was set for October 22nd at 5:15 p.m.
Most Active Speaker
Riina Solman (Isamaa faction, right-wing) was the most active speaker, repeatedly posing questions regarding the negative impact of the amendment to the calculation of maternity benefits, and also delivered a lengthy address on the subject during the debate.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar introduced the sixth item on the Riigikogu’s agenda, which was the first reading of Draft Act 717 on amendments to the Health Insurance Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, initiated by the Government of the Republic, and invited Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller to the rostrum.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Social Affairs Minister Karmen Joller introduced amendments to the Health Insurance and Occupational Health Act, the central objective of which is to make the system more flexible, fairer, and more efficient. Among the most significant changes, she highlighted the option to return to part-time work during a long-term illness starting as early as the 31st day, the simplification of payment terms for voluntary health insurance (allowing installment payments), the exclusion of receiving double benefits (unemployment and sickness benefits), and the standardization of calculating sickness benefits for pregnant women based on the previous year's income, which will reduce the administrative burden.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked the respected minister and then gave the floor to Riina Solman so she could ask him at least one question.
Riina Solman
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Riina Solman criticizes the proposal discussed in the Social Affairs Committee to equalize pregnant women with others in the calculation of benefits, arguing that the new calculation method, based on the average salary of the last six months, will particularly disadvantage women who were on parental leave during the previous calendar year. She requests that the provision be reviewed again in order to support the carriers of new life, whom the Estonian state needs.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Social Affairs Minister Karmen Joller explained that the current system for maternity benefits—where the amount received depends on salary fluctuations immediately preceding the pregnancy—is being reformed primarily to ease the administrative load on the Health Insurance Fund (Tervisekassa). This is necessary because manual calculations are time-consuming and adequate digital systems are lacking. She confirmed that, following the change, pregnant women will not be placed in a worse position compared to other employees.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar called Rain Epler to the podium, giving him the floor.
Rain Epler
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Rain Epler requests clarification and a detailed explanation regarding how the period used as the basis for calculating maternity leave compensation has changed according to the interpretation of the new law. Specifically, is the calculation based on the time of conception or the calendar year preceding the start of the maternity leave—for instance, using 2024 as the basis when the leave begins in October 2025—since the previously applicable rules are changing.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Social Minister Karmen Joller emphasizes that the current system used to calculate the pre-sick leave period for pregnant women is a manual and burdensome process. It requires separate inquiries and the constant back-and-forth of contracts. Therefore, moving forward, this system will be fully automated, following the model used for all other working individuals, in order to avoid unnecessary administrative load.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar gave the floor to Riina Solman, inviting her to the rostrum.
Riina Solman
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Riina Solman expressed concern regarding the new system for calculating benefits, noting that because it takes into account salary increases and income from the previous year, it causes significant financial losses (over 100 euros per month) specifically for pregnant women and mothers who have recently returned to work from parental leave, and she therefore requested that the system be reviewed.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Social Minister Karmen Joller explains that the reduction of income due to absence from work or a decreased workload is a standard part of the current system, which affects all employees. In the case of pregnant women, the financial impact depends on individual income, and the situation may not necessarily worsen; in fact, it could even improve. For this reason, there are currently no plans to review the system.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar briefly gave the floor to Rain Epler, requesting that he begin his presentation.
Rain Epler
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Rain Epler refutes the claim regarding manual processing when declaring wage data, referring to the precise monthly data provided by the e-state. Furthermore, he wishes to know how voluntary insurance through the Health Insurance Fund (Tervisekassa) is regulated, specifically whether it includes a waiting period that would prevent the purchase of insurance immediately before the need for hospital treatment arises.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Social Minister Karmen Joller confirms that the conditions for Health Insurance Fund coverage, including the use of national registers and the 60-day waiting period, are equal for everyone. She emphasized that exactly the same requirements apply for obtaining health insurance, and while payments are flexible, contracts are typically concluded for one year.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar concluded the round of questions to the minister, then apologized for a procedural error, and invited Irja Lutsar, a member of the Social Affairs Committee, to the Riigikogu rostrum so that she could present the discussion that had taken place in the committee before the opening of the debate.
Irja Lutsar
Profiling Eesti 200 fraktsioonAI Summary
Irja Lutsar provides an overview of Draft Law 717, which was discussed by the Social Affairs Committee. The purpose of the draft law is to streamline the procedure for paying sickness benefits by ending the payment of double compensation (unemployment insurance and sickness benefit) and standardizing the basis for calculating sickness benefits for pregnant women (using data from the Tax and Customs Board instead of data submitted by the employer) to reduce the risk of system abuse. Furthermore, the discussion addressed social guarantees and the terms of voluntary health insurance for non-working individuals from third countries, which resulted in a proposal to conclude the first reading of the draft.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked the previous speaker, confirmed the absence of questions, then opened the debate and invited colleague Riina Solman, representing the Isamaa faction, to the Riigikogu rostrum.
Riina Solman
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Riina Solman sharply criticizes the draft legislation, which alters the basis for calculating compensation paid when pregnant women are moved to lighter duties, shifting the calculation from the six-month average to the average salary of the previous calendar year. She stresses that this amendment negatively impacts, for instance, women who were on parental leave last year, and amounts to an unwarranted suspicion of fraud, particularly given that the state is ignoring major issues of abuse within the parental benefits system. As an alternative solution, she proposes an IT system to facilitate the verification of salary data submitted by employers.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar requested three additional minutes to continue his address.
Riina Solman
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Riina Solman expresses fierce opposition to the proposed changes to benefits for pregnant women, emphasizing that the proposal is unequal, underestimates the rising costs and physical changes experienced by expectant mothers, and is irresponsible in the context of low birth rates. Therefore, she asks the minister to withdraw the draft bill and stop disadvantaging pregnant women.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar closed the debate since there were no further requests for the floor and the minister also declined to speak. He then concluded the first reading of Bill 717, setting the deadline for the submission of amendments as 5:15 PM on October 22 of the current year.