Skip to main content
Reform Support
Improving the health insurance and pension system in Slovenia banner

Supporting reforms to improve the quality and sustainability of our healthcare systems

Funding Programme
Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP)
Year
2020

Improving the health insurance and pension system in Slovenia

The European Commission assisted the Slovenian Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities (MLFSAEQ), with the support of the OECD, to develop a project aimed at a comprehensive reform of the Slovenian pension and disability insurance system.

Context 

Sickness and disability policies in Slovenia have not been reformed for over 20 years, resulting in a growing number of long-term sickness claims and very low employment rates among persons with disabilities. Pension expenditures are projected to increase very strongly over the next three decades, the effective retirement age is low and the link between contributions and entitlements is not very transparent. The project will deliver a novel analysis of the Slovenian sickness, disability insurance and pension systems and the resulting policy guidance will benefit from the experience of the OECD in assessing systems of individual countries and international best practices collected across countries.

Support delivered 

The project delivered:

  • Two analytical reports including policy recommendations covering both the pension system and sickness and disability insurance, produced by the OECD
  • Two national virtual workshop with the key stakeholders to present the report
  • Focus group meetings with the key stakeholders to create buy-in of the policy recommendations
  • An action plan translating the recommendations into actions, developed in collaboration with another project funded by the European Union
  • An international study visit to Sweden.

Results achieved 

The project produced a series of policy recommendations on sickness and disability insurance reform, which would change how workers with health impairments are assisted in their return to work or transferred to long-term benefits.

The project provided the government with a menu of policy options to reform pensions, based on international evidence, including supporting materials and examples on how to communicate the need of the reform and the reforms themselves.

If adopted, these policy changes could secure adequate old-age income, curb the growing sickness claims, promote the employment of persons with disabilities and facilitate the collaboration between the key stakeholders.

More about the project

You can read the final report here: