First law: 1956 and 1964.
Current law: 1990, as amended 1992.
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Provisions and rates as of January 1999 unless noted otherwise.
Exchange rate: U.S.$1.00 equals 527 Dram (dr).
All employees, self-employed, collective farmers, scientists and artists.
Insured person: Employees-3% of earnings, maximum of 2,500 dr. monthly; self-employed, scientists and artists--20% of annual income, minimum of 1,500 dr. and maximum of 20,000 dr. per month; collective farmers--12% of taxable property, maximum of 150,000 dr. per year.
Employer: 28% of payroll, minimum of 2,500 dr. and maximum of 20,000 dr. monthly per employee.
Government: Subsidies as needed; whole cost of social pension.
Above contributions also finance benefits for sickness and maternity, work-injury disability and survivors, and for unemployment.
Old-age pension: Age 62 (men) or age 57 (women) with at least 25 years of covered employment; or age 57 (men) or age 52 (women) with at least 20 years' covered employment in arduous or hazardous work; or age 52 (men) or age 47 (women) with at least 15 years' covered employment in very arduous and hazardous work. Covered employment includes years pursuing in higher education, serving in armed services, caring disabled persons or children under age 3, and periods receiving unemployment benefits.
Disability pension: Total (incapacity for any work) or partial disability, with at least 5 years' covered employment.
Group I disability: total incapacity for work, requiring constant attendance; Group II disability: total incapacity for work, but not requiring constant attendance.
Group III disability: partial incapacity for usual work.
Survivor pension: Insured had up to 15 years' covered employment, payable to surviving children.
Social pension: Disabled or single pensioners with limited means.
Old-age pension: Payable monthly at 100% of base pension plus a bonus pension of 35 dr. per year for insured (full calendar) years 15 or less, and 60 dr. per year for insured years 16 or more. Base pension: 2,200 dr. (2,860 dr. as of April 1, 1999).
Adjustment: Periodic benefit adjustments by government decree.
Disability pension: Total disability pension: Group I, 120% of base pension per month plus a bonus pension for each full, calendar year of covered employment; Group II, 100% of base pension per month, plus a bonus pension for each year of covered employment.
Partial disability (Group III): 80% of base pension per month, plus a bonus pension for each year of covered employment. Bonus pension, same as under old-age pension above.
Adjustment: Periodic benefit adjustments by government decree.
Survivor pension: Payable monthly to each orphan: 100% of base pension, plus 50% of bonus pension per year of insurance of the deceased; full orphan: 120% of base pension plus 50% of bonus pension for each of combined insured years of both deceased parents. Bonus pension, same as under old-age pension above.
Adjustment: Periodic benefit adjustments by government decree.
Social pension: Payable monthly, 3,500 dr. of basic pension, plus 1,300 dr. for each dependent family member.
Ministry of Social Security, policy-making. Council of Social Insurance State Fund (Ministers of Social Security, Health, and Finances and Economics, Chairman of the State Fund, and Chairman of Trade Unions), general coordination and oversight. Regional and provincial branches of Social Insurance State Fund, administration of program.
First law: 1912.
Current law: 1984 and 1993.
Type of program: Dual social insurance (cash benefits) and universal (medical care) systems.
Note: Provisions of medical care as of January 1995.
Cash benefits: All employees, self-employed, collective farmers, and scientists and artists.
Medical care: All residents.
Insured person: See contributions under old-age pensions above.
Employer: Cash benefits: See contributions under old-age pensions above. Medical care: whole cost of optional employer-operated health care facilities.
Government: Cash benefits: Subsidies as needed from central and local governments, and full cost of benefits for child care leaves under age 2. Full cost of medical care, paid by both central and local government budgets.
Cash and medical benefits: No minimum qualifying period.
Sickness benefit: Payable in case of illness or to care for sick child.
100% of earnings if insured for 8 or more years; 80% of earnings, insured 5-8 years; 50% of earnings, insured less than 5 years.
Maternity benefit: 100% of earnings payable for 70 days before and 70 days after confinement; for a maximum of 155 days if complications in childbirth, or 180 days for multiple births.
2,340 dr. payable monthly until child is 2 years old.
Medical benefits: Medical services provided directly to patients by governmental health providers. Preventive care, general and specialist curative care, hospitalization, laboratory services, dental care, maternity care, and transportation.
Patient ordinarily pays part of cost of appliances.
Medicines, if provided with hospitalization, are free. Also free for disabled children under age 16, children under age 1, and pensioners receiving minimum pension.
Care in sanatoria and rest homes, preference being given to workers who may pay part of cost.
Medical benefits for dependents: Same as for head of household.
Cash benefits: Social Insurance State Fund, general oversight of the program; the State Fund's regional and provincial departments of local governments, administration of benefits.
Medical care: Ministry of Health, and health departments of local governments, general supervision and coordination; provision of medical services through clinics, hospitals, maternity homes, and other facilities administered by the Health Ministry and local health departments.
First law: 1955 and 1974.
Current laws: 1992 and 1995 (short-term benefits), 1990 and 1992 (pensions).
Type of program: Dual social insurance (cash benefits) and universal (medical care) system.
Note: Provisions of work injury as of January 1995.
Cash benefits: All employees.
Medical care: All residents.
Insured person: Cash benefits: see pension contributions above; medical care: same as under general medical care (see Sickness and Maternity, above).
Employer: Same as above.
Government: Same as above.
Work-injury benefits: No minimum qualifying period.
Temporary disability benefit: 100% of average monthly earnings in last 12 months preceding onset of work injury or occupational disease. Payable from first day of incapacity, until recovery or award of permanent disability pension.
Permanent disability pension: Same as under general disability.
Medical benefits: Same as under general medical care, plus full cost of appliances and medicines (see Sickness and Maternity, above).
Survivor pension: Same as general survivor pensions above (see Old Age, Disability, Death, above).
Temporary disability benefits: General supervision by Social Insurance State Fund; enterprises and employers pay benefits to own employees.
Pensions: Same as under old-age, disability, and survivor pensions above.
Medical care: Same as under general medical care above (see Sickness and Maternity, above).
First law: 1921.
Current law: 1991 and 1996.
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Residents aged 16 or older.
Insured: See pension contributions above.
Employer: See pension contributions above.
Government: Subsidies as needed from central and local governments.
Unemployment benefit: Dismissed as result of reorganization, staff reduction, or cancellation of collective agreement or for breach of discipline; or resignation. Unemployed had a minimum of 12-weeks' covered employment in 12-month period preceding unemployment, or a minimum of 7 months' covered employment between episodes of unemployment and applications for benefits.
Seeking to rejoin labor force after a lengthy period of interruption, or seeking work for the first time. Registered at employment office.
Ability and willingness to work.
Unemployment benefit: For the unemployed who were dismissed due to reorganization, staff reduction or cancellation of collective agreement: 100% of basic unemployment benefit (3,900 dr. per month); 80% of basic unemployment benefit for those resigned from job; and 60% of basic unemployment benefit, if dismissed due to breach of discipline. Benefit payments up to 12 months.
Social Insurance State Fund and Ministry of Social Security, general oversight. Regional Employment Service and regional departments of labor and employment, administration of program.
First law: 1944.
Current law: 1992, as amended 1993.
Type of program: Dual universal and social assistance system.
Note: Provisions of this program as of January 1995.
Families with children.
Insured person: None.
Employer: None.
Government: Whole cost.
Family allowances: Children under age 17.
Low-income allowances: urban families with children, if income per capita lower than 60% of minimum wage.
Family allowances: 450-650 dr. per month (as of April 1, 1995), depending on number of children. Supplementary benefit: 700 dr. (as of December 1, 1994) per month for unwed or single mother. Birth grant: 3000 dr. (as of April 1, 1995).
Low-income supplement: 10% of minimum wage per month per child; maximum: 60% of minimum wage per family.
Ministry of Labor and Social Security, and local departments of social security.