#CostaRica 🇨🇷 #BDS_LaborAlert: Reform to Health Insurance Regulations Introduces Special Leaves of Absence and Expanded Coverage for Workers

On Friday, November 1, 2024, the reform to the Health Insurance Regulations, approved by the Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Social Security Administration, was published in the Official Gazette No. 205.

The reform encompasses several articles and introduces new leave types created by the 2022 reform of Article 95 of the Labor Code, whose regulation had been pending, along with changes in the calculation and payment of subsidies.

Key amendments to the regulatory text include:

• Definitions are added for “Special Leave,” “End-Stage Leave,” “Critically Ill Minor Leave,” and “Extraordinary Leave.”
• A maximum period of ten business days is established for the payment of subsidies, leave, or economic aid, detailing the documents required for carrying out these procedures in person or through a third party.
• Subsidy calculation now uses the average of the last twelve reported salaries rather than the income or salary average of the previous three months.
• In cases of leave due to maternal death, the subsidy will be calculated based on the father’s income.
• Subsidy payments during leave of absence are conditioned on insured workers refraining from any other paid activity during the leave period.

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