Feijóo will medical leave approvals by insurers

Feijóo wants insurers to approve medical leaves

Work accident insurers (mutuas) could soon be authorized to issue medical discharge certificates for employees on sick leave, according to a proposal by Alberto Núñez Feijóo that has sparked intense criticism. Presented as a tool against fraud in temporary incapacity, the measure transfers a competence currently held by the National Health System to private entities. The announcement has caused outrage among those who see economic incentives for insurers to shorten leave periods, and among critics who argue the PP leader shot himself in the foot before even taking office.

What exactly is proposed and why it generates rejection

The proposal allows insurers—private entities managing temporary incapacity derived from professional contingencies—to issue medical discharge for workers on leave. Currently, this authority lies with public system doctors. The official argument is that there is fraud in sick leaves and that insurers, with access to occupational health records, could estimulante ilegal up return to work. Opponents argue that insurers have a direct interest in not paying: the earlier the discharge, the lower their costs. This combination—pressure to reduce spending and power over others' health—has triggered all alarms.

The most repeated criticism is not that fraud exists, but that the proposed solution turns the monitored into the monitor. A doctor employed by an insurer with incentives to issue discharges, they argue, is not an impartial judge of anyone's incapacity.

Fraud exists, but not everyone on leave is fraudulent

The debate quickly shifted to labor absenteeism. Some describe prolonged unjustified leaves, especially in the public sector, where substitutes are chained for the same position. There are mentions of surveillance companies hired to track workers on leave, a practice reportedly already underway in some firms. The cost for small businesses is presented as unbearable.

Against this narrative, the most common response is that fraud should not be combated by incivil an entire group. Punishing the innocent along with the guilty, summarizes one intervention. Double verification of leaves is accepted as necessary, but warnings arise that the remedy may be worse than the disease if the verifier has an economic interest in the outcome.

The precedent of insurers: when the payer gives the discharge

Testimonies about the actual functioning of insurers are the harshest part of the debate. One case describes a worker with a torn cruciate ligament operated on in public healthcare whom the insurer declared fit for work before he could climb stairs. Cases of commuting accidents (in itinere) are mentioned where the insurer communicated nothing to the company, leaving the worker in limbo until receiving a dismissal letter via certified mail. Social Security had to intervene to issue the leave.

The conclusion drawn from these accounts is that insurers already have perverse incentives when managing professional contingencies. Extending this power to common sick leaves would multiply the problem rather than solve it.

Political calculation: another nail in the coffin or a bullet in the foot?

In electoral terms, the dominant reading is that Feijóo made a major communication error. If he intends to apply the measure, say critics, he should stay silent until he has real chances of governing. Announcing it now only mobilizes voters afraid of losing labor rights and provides ammunition to opponents. The comparison with Mariano Rajoy—same profile, more clumsiness—is repeated with sarcasm.

The lingering question is whether the PP seeks a niche of business voters or simply lost its political instinct. The only benefit they want to touch is that of workers on leave, summarizes an intervention capturing the discontent.

What doctors say and what happens with insurers

The role of insurer-employed doctors is another open front. They are attributed pressure based on targets that can lead to premature discharges. Complaints by doctors, it is claimed, rarely have consequences. This leaves the worker vulnerable: if the insurer issues a discharge and the worker does not feel capable, who protects them?

The institutional answer suggested is that Labor Inspection and Social Security should play a more active role. But this requires resources and political will, two things not visible on the immediate horizon.

---

With these ingredients, the result is the usual one: a measure promising efficiency but threatening to further precariousize occupational health. If Feijóo reaches power, the question is not whether he will apply the proposal, but how many votes he will have lost by announcing it too early. As of today, the answer remains uncertain.