The National Health Fund (CNS), Luxembourg’s largest health insurer, said its 2020 accounts were strongly affected by the pandemic. Photo: Christophe Lemaire / Maison Moderne

The National Health Fund (CNS), Luxembourg’s largest health insurer, said its 2020 accounts were strongly affected by the pandemic. Photo: Christophe Lemaire / Maison Moderne

The National Health Fund ended 2020 with a deficit of -€12.4m on its books. Expenditures increased due to the covid-19 crisis: benefits related to family leave, for example, increased by more than 1,000%.

The pandemic is taking its toll on the finances of the National Health Fund (CNS). It ended the year 2020 with a balance of -€12.4m. In 2019, it had a surplus of +€79.4m.

“As expected,” the CNS said in its 2020 . “Despite the state’s participation [editor’s note: €238m linked to covid-19], significant expenses linked to covid-19 have fallen on health and maternity insurance,” such as PCR tests and additional hospital costs. Nevertheless, it pronounced a “balanced financial situation thanks to our reserve”.

Income rose by 15.2% to €4.283bn, while expenditure rose by 18.8% to €4.296bn.

1.9% increase in membership

Cash sickness benefits rose from €203m to €341.3m in one year and maternity benefits rose from €163.6m to €421.9m. These are sums intended to replace income in the event of illness or maternity. Family leave falls into the second category: with the health crisis, it increased by 1,316.4% in 2020 to €256.8m.

The number of insured members rose by 1.9% to 896,548, including 318,122 non-Luxembourg residents. On average, 11,600 emails were sent each month to [email protected], compared with 7,300 in 2019. Additionally, 800,791 certificates of incapacity for work due to illness and accident (including covid-19 quarantine and isolation orders) were recorded, compared with 761,390 in 2019.

The number of staff increased from 470 to 486.7 full-time equivalent employees.

Accelerated digitalisation

The crisis has not slowed down the health fund’s digitalisation projects; on the contrary. 2020 was the year it launched its tele-consultation platform, eConsult. Covid forced it to set up an online appointment booking system and to manage work incapacity certificates online.

And the great digitalisation continues. The ministers for social security and health of a platform for the exchange of information between health professionals, the insured and health insurance funds, with the aim of moving towards immediate direct payments by 2023.

This article in Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.

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