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Summary
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The Swedish Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) cannot grant Assistant
Benefit for healthcare measures carried out in accordance with the
Health and Medical Services Act. The SSIA can, however, grant
Assistant Benefit for a healthcare measure if it is assessed that the
measure can be performed as self-care by a personal assistant. Self-
care is performed outside the liability of the healthcare services.
The assessment whether a healthcare measure should be considered
as self-care is carried out by the healthcare services, following the
instructions for self-care by The Swedish National Board of Health
and Welfare.
Objectives
The Government has given a commission to ISF to examine how
the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) interprets the rules
regarding self-care and the extent of liability if something goes
wrong. ISF has also examined legal practice and how it affects
application of the rules on assistance allowances by the SSIA.
The main findings of the study are that:
–
SSIA finds it difficult to obtain sufficient evidence from the
healthcare services for judging whether a measure should be
considered as self-care or not.
–
In handling assistance allowances, it is difficult for SSIA to
decide the distinction between whether a measure should be
counted as support related to the individual's daily life or as
a healthcare measure. If the measure is counted as support
in everyday life, it can be included in the basic needs.
–
SSIA has not followed a uniform structure for assessing which
measures the healthcare services should assess as a measure
for self-care or for healthcare in accordance with the Health
and Medical Services Act.
–
In 2016 SSIA decided that self-care is not classified as a
basic need. It was justified by a judgement of the Supreme
Administrative Court. This makes it harder for people to
qualify for state assistance allowances. The effect has been
reinforced by a judgement that means that medical supervision