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Another possible implication of such a development is that from
a political perspective, it becomes more difficult to regulate the
incentive structure within the sickness system, as only one part of the
system can be controlled politically. Likewise, the administrative cost
for running several parallel systems is also higher than in the case of
one system.
At the individual level, individuals may have an increasingly hard
time obtaining an overview of the system and understanding their
own income protection. Earlier investigations showed that 25–30 per
cent of insured individuals
3
do not receive the benefit they are entitled
to from occupational insurance during periods of sickness. The reason
for this is that they are not aware of the fact that they are entitled to
occupational sickness insurance and thus they do not apply for
benefits (Sjögren Lindquist and Wadensjö, 2007).
Likewise it is important to note that not everyone is covered by
occupational insurance, as this is the case only for individuals
employed at a work place covered by a collective agreement.
Consequently, occupational insurance only covers people who
currently are employed or who recently were employed. Accordingly,
there is a group of individuals who lacks the supplementary
protection offered by the collective insurance. This may be
problematic if the coverage offered by the public system continues to
decrease.
Further information in English
An academic paper in English on the same material is forthcoming.
Please contact the author for more information.
3
Within the group privately employed blue-collar workers and staff employed by the
municipality or county councils.