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View Full Version : ARL has billions; CNSS will use 1.5



NewsWhore
09-29-2011, 04:00 PM
Workplace accident notifications from workers to the Administrator of Labor Risks (ARL) have increased so far this year, reaching 16,167 cases. The total case reports for the same period last year was 12,399, so therefore it is expected that by next December they will reach over 20% more than 2010. ARL Salud Segura spokesman Jose Luis Diaz made this projection yesterday, saying that the greater number of reports was the result of a higher profile campaign to inform workers of the protection offered by the insurance. However, the number of notifications of professional accidents and illnesses is very small in relation to the amounts employers pay for workplace insurance. This allows the ARLSS to accumulate a fund of about RD$10 billion pesos. Of the amount of resources, the Special Commission of the Tripartite Dialogue, which heads the National Council of Social Security (CNSS) decided to use RD$1.5 billion for remodeling and equipping the Dominican Social Security Institute hospitals and clinics, and strengthening and expansion of children's services.

The agreement reached by the members of the Tripartite Dialogue, led by the Minister of Labor, Francisco Dominguez Brito, establishes that all the competent Councils will discuss the manner and the distribution of resources, an increase in workers' compensation and a reduction in payments for labor risks. The ARL fund comes from a contribution of 1.2% of salaries made by the employers. "Since this is a quota that the employer pays, not the employee, who moreover does not have a carnet, since the worker does not know about this; this is why we have intensified the campaign so that they know of the coverage that is being offered and that includes 100% of the medical expenses and to all of the employees," said Diaz.

According to Law 87-01, the coverage includes both workplace accidents as well as along the way to and from work, as well as any activity that the worker is carrying out under the orders of a superior.

This insurance provides for up to 12 months of temporary incapacitation, with renewable leave every 30 days, and after a year, the employee can opt for an evaluation by the CNSS to establish whether there are grounds for assigning a pension or a compensation package, when the problem merits one. Nonetheless, there is no time limit for the coverage of medical expenses that the patient might have. The ARLSS campaign includes, according to the spokesman, activities conducted directly with the companies and State institutions, and there has been an increase in paid announcements in the press and on television as well as an active participation in fairs.

Besides the use of part of the ARL Fund resources, the Special Commission of the Tripartite Dialogue, which heads up the National Council on Social Security (CNSS), agreed to discuss the transfer of the money that is paid to the ARL for health care coverage for labor risks to the Health Risks Administrators. The government, labor and management sectors also decided that they would again bring together the tripartite Councils that make up the CNSS, the National Technical Professional Institute (Infotep) and the Dominican Social Security Institute (IDSS).

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